Navigating complexity with the four pillars of social sustainability

Abstract

Abstract The concept of social sustainability has long been a subject of discussion within academic literature and practitioners. However, there remains a lack of clarity in its definition and scholars argue that this can impacting the legitimacy of addressing social sustainability challenges. Through a systematic literature review and a content analysis, we shed light on the multifaceted discourse surrounding the concept of social sustainability, elucidating its diverse applications and meanings portrayed and defined within scholarly discourse. Our findings show that the concept predominantly revolves around four prevalent categories: “Equity,” “Well-being,” “Participation and Influence,” and ‘Social Capital. Based on results, we develop and present a novel analytical framework of the four pillars of social sustainability, referred to as the “SoSuCompass,” representing a conceptual framework to clarify the concept's multifaceted nature. The framework can serve as a tool for a fuller comprehension of the definition of social sustainability.