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Sustainable Development, From Idea to Practice: A Case Study of an NGO in Cochabamba, Bolivia

Ketonen, Ida Emilia LU (2016) SGED10 20161
Department of Human Geography
Human Ecology
Abstract
Sustainable development is a concept that can be interpreted and understood in many different ways. Given that the concept in itself does not provide specific guidance to what is to be achieved, how or when, actors who claim to work with sustainable development needs to know what sustainable development is to them. NGO’s are seen as one group of many actors who are responsible of implementing sustainable development. This thesis contributes to the understanding of how NGO’s understand sustainable development and how they turn this understanding to practical results. It does so through an in-depth empirical case study of one NGO – Sustainable Bolivia. Data gathered through participatory research is analyzed through the lenses of Complexity... (More)
Sustainable development is a concept that can be interpreted and understood in many different ways. Given that the concept in itself does not provide specific guidance to what is to be achieved, how or when, actors who claim to work with sustainable development needs to know what sustainable development is to them. NGO’s are seen as one group of many actors who are responsible of implementing sustainable development. This thesis contributes to the understanding of how NGO’s understand sustainable development and how they turn this understanding to practical results. It does so through an in-depth empirical case study of one NGO – Sustainable Bolivia. Data gathered through participatory research is analyzed through the lenses of Complexity theory and the theory of Multiple rationales. Field notes, interviews with the Founder of the NGO, their website, strategic documents and minutes from a workshop constitutes data sources for this research. The results of this thesis shows that the organization transforms their idea of sustainable development to practice through the process of building relations and capitalizing on networks by taking different roles and applying multiple rationalities. Furthermore, the results of this research shows that the NGO understands the idea of sustainable development as (a) something practical rather than theoretical, (b) as something that does not need to be defined in detail in order to be understood and as (c) sustainability, as they avoid using the word development. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Ketonen, Ida Emilia LU
supervisor
organization
course
SGED10 20161
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
sustainable development discourse, sustainable development definition, nongovernmental organizations, Complexity theory, Multiple rationales
language
English
id
8874735
date added to LUP
2016-06-23 09:05:13
date last changed
2016-06-23 09:05:13
@misc{8874735,
  abstract     = {{Sustainable development is a concept that can be interpreted and understood in many different ways. Given that the concept in itself does not provide specific guidance to what is to be achieved, how or when, actors who claim to work with sustainable development needs to know what sustainable development is to them. NGO’s are seen as one group of many actors who are responsible of implementing sustainable development. This thesis contributes to the understanding of how NGO’s understand sustainable development and how they turn this understanding to practical results. It does so through an in-depth empirical case study of one NGO – Sustainable Bolivia. Data gathered through participatory research is analyzed through the lenses of Complexity theory and the theory of Multiple rationales. Field notes, interviews with the Founder of the NGO, their website, strategic documents and minutes from a workshop constitutes data sources for this research. The results of this thesis shows that the organization transforms their idea of sustainable development to practice through the process of building relations and capitalizing on networks by taking different roles and applying multiple rationalities. Furthermore, the results of this research shows that the NGO understands the idea of sustainable development as (a) something practical rather than theoretical, (b) as something that does not need to be defined in detail in order to be understood and as (c) sustainability, as they avoid using the word development.}},
  author       = {{Ketonen, Ida Emilia}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Sustainable Development, From Idea to Practice: A Case Study of an NGO in Cochabamba, Bolivia}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}