Ekososiaalista politiikkaa ilmastonmuutoksen hillitsemiseksi

nonPeerReviewe

Kirja-arvio: Hyvinvointipalveluilla kollektiivista hyvinvointia

Arvosteltu teos: Aaltio, Elina: Hyvinvoinnin uusi järjestys. Gaudeamus, Helsinki. 2013, 159 s.Non peer reviewe

Changing Paradigms: A Sketch for Sustainable Wellbeing and Ecosocial Policy

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.Peer reviewe

Reflecting on Work Values with Young Unemployed Adults in Finland

In this article, we explore the internal conversations about the work values of young unemployed adults in Finland. We draw on the theoretical concept of internal conversation by Margaret Archer in order to shift the focus from the individual work values to the interplay between subjective concerns and structural circumstances. The data consist of six group interviews conducted among 29 young unemployed adults. We argue that the internal conversations on work values of young unemployed adults constitute five significant concerns: self-realization and opportunity to contribute to society; sufficient income to live independently; social expectations; challenges of finding employment; and unsustainability of the employment system. These diverse concerns demonstrate that young unemployed adults are constrained agents in a changing context of global environment, Nordic labor market, and activation policies. The results contribute to the explanations for unemployment by emphasizing both the structural factors and reflective agency of young unemployed adult

Kestävää siirtymää edistäviä työn ja toimeentulon muotoja – Analyysi kirjallisuudesta

Artikkelissa tarkastelemme kestävää siirtymää edistäviä työn ja toimeentulon vaihtoehtoja. Artikkeli perustuu kirjallisuuteen, joka sisältää ekososiaalista sosiaalipolitiikkaa, kestävää kehitystä, kestävää työtä sekä kestävää taloutta koskevia julkaisuja. Artikkelin tarkoituksena on yhdistää kestävän siirtymän hallinnan tutkimusta hyvinvointivaltioiden tulevaisuutta koskevaan keskusteluun. Kuvaamme kirjallisuudessa esitettyjä vaihtoehtoja siirtymän tutkimuksessa käytettävän monitasomallin näkökulmasta: jäsennämme vaihtoehtoja keskeisten käsitteiden ”toimintaympäristön”, ”hallintojärjestelmän” ja ”paikallisten innovaatioiden” (niché) avulla. Analyysin tuloksena kuvaamme, miten ansiotyötä laajempi työn määritelmä muuttaisi työn toimintaympäristöä. Kirjallisuudessa esiintyvät ideat työajan lyhentämisestä ja perustulosta viittaavat hallintojärjestelmätason tasolla tarvittaviin muutoksiin. Paikallisten innovaatioiden tasolla yhteisövaluutat saavat aikaan uudenlaisia työn ja toimeentulon käytäntöjä. Nämä eri tasoilla tapahtuvat muutokset voisivat muuttaa työn ja toimeentulon muotoja samalla kestävää siirtymää edistäen

Kaupunkien rooli kestävyysmurroksessa : Planetaarisen kaupungistumisen ja kaupunkien aineenvaihdunnan näkökulmat

Cities are increasingly profiling themselves as active agents within the transition towards sustainability. Despite many apparent efforts, discussion on “sustainable cities” has often focused on narrowly defined problems and ignored the interconnectedness of ecological, social, and economic issues that extend beyond the boundaries of formal city regions. Hence, this paper highlights the need for more systemic approaches, taking into account the multifaceted nature of urban sustainability. We use planetary urbanism, urban metabolism, and inclusiveness as conceptual lenses to demonstrate the embeddedness of cities in planetary ecological systems and social structures. We present four examples of urban initiatives that extend from strategic tools to practical urban planning in order to elucidate more holistic ways of thinking about and moving towards, urban sustainability. Our examination calls for rethinking prevailing ideas of cities as forerunners of sustainable development and highlights the need for collaboration for curbing potentially harmful socio-spatial divisions

Material Footprint of Low-Income Households in Finland-Consequences for the Sustainability Debate

The article assesses the material footprints of households living on a minimum amount of social benefits in Finland and discusses the consequences in terms of ecological and social sustainability. The data were collected using interviews and a questionnaire on the consumption patterns of 18 single households. The results are compared to a study on households with varying income levels, to average consumption patterns and to decent minimum reference budgets. The low-income households have lower material footprints than average and most of the material footprints are below the socially sustainable level of consumption, which is based on decent minimum reference budgets. However, the amount of resources used by most of the households studied here is still at least double that required for ecological sustainability. The simultaneous existence of both deprivation and overconsumption requires measures from both politicians and companies to make consumption sustainable. For example, both adequate housing and economic mobility need to be addressed. Measures to improve the social sustainability of low-income households should target reducing the material footprints of more affluent households. Furthermore, the concept of what constitutes a decent life should be understood more universally than on the basis of standards of material consumption.Peer reviewe