Social Sustainability in Civil Society

The course addresses how public sociology provides tools for critically and reflexively understanding central issues in contemporary sociological research, which concerns knowledge production, societal changes and the promotion of social sustainability in civil society. The course examines how volontary and value-based organizations, communities and social movements contribute to conserve social sustainability in various arenas, through activities that adress issues related to democracy, citizenship, collective action and public space. The course studies processes of social inclusion and exclusion, with a focus on gender, ethnicity and class, as well as access to public spaces. The course also discuss practical approaches to sociological inquiry, focusing mainly on action research as an approach to collaborate with concerned organizations, groups and individuals, in order to identify and adress obstacles and opportunities for social sustainability. The course emphasizes the importance of reflexivity, relational understanding and ethical action in processes which promote social sustainability in contemporary civil society.