Changing Paradigms: A Sketch for Sustainable Wellbeing and Ecosocial Policy

Tuuli Hirvilammi and Tuula Helne
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Tuuli Hirvilammi: Department of Social Research, University of Helsinki, Snellmaninkatu 10, PO Box 16, Helsinki 00014, Finland
Tuula Helne: Research Department, The Social Insurance Institution of Finland, Nordenskiöldinkatu 12, PO Box 450, Helsinki 00101, Finland

Sustainability, 2014, vol. 6, issue 4, 1-16

Abstract: We live in the Anthropocene era, where human action has an unforeseen impact on global ecosystems. This is visible, for instance, in climate change, in the loss of biodiversity and in the acidification of the oceans. Little attention is given to the fact that the Anthropocene is related to anthropocentric thinking that also guides our policies. Therefore, we argue that ecologically and socially sustainable policies will not be achieved by incidental policy measures alone, but a change of paradigm is needed. In our article, we lay out the tenets of a relational paradigm resting on holistic thinking and deep ecology. On the basis of this paradigm, the principles, conceptions and goals specific to any given policy can be formulated, giving them a common ground. In this article, we apply the relational paradigm to social policy in order to contribute to the quest for sustainable wellbeing in the overconsuming welfare states. Here, we formulate a multidimensional and relational conception of wellbeing, the HDLB-model (Having-Doing-Loving-Being), which is a modification of sociologist Erik Allardt’s theory. We illustrate how this model could provide the foundation of a sustainable ecosocial policy.

Keywords: wellbeing; sustainability; social policy; environment; relationality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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