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Can security be sustainable? Three perspectives on security and social sustainability : paradox, co-production, and deconstruction

Malmio, Irja LU orcid (2024) In Sustainability Science
Abstract

Security and sustainability are prioritized goals in the “Western liberal” world. Maintaining democratic resources while simultaneously strengthening society’s ability to deal with security issues firmly resonates with ideals associated with social sustainability. However, merging normative theories like security and social sustainability produces conceptual difficulties that are hard to resolve. Based on key literature in this field and policy documents from the UN, this article uses conceptual analysis to investigate what boundaries and openings three distinct perspectives of the connection between social sustainability and security might produce. The perspectives chosen as illustrative tools are paradox, co-production, and... (More)

Security and sustainability are prioritized goals in the “Western liberal” world. Maintaining democratic resources while simultaneously strengthening society’s ability to deal with security issues firmly resonates with ideals associated with social sustainability. However, merging normative theories like security and social sustainability produces conceptual difficulties that are hard to resolve. Based on key literature in this field and policy documents from the UN, this article uses conceptual analysis to investigate what boundaries and openings three distinct perspectives of the connection between social sustainability and security might produce. The perspectives chosen as illustrative tools are paradox, co-production, and deconstruction. The paradox perspective pronounces inherently divergent qualities of sustainability and security, which implies a trade-off situation. In contrast, the co-production perspective views social sustainability as a critical component in security issues, while security, in turn, is a prerequisite for sustainability. A third perspective, deconstruction, highlights underlying processes that produce and prioritize specific meanings. The perspectives of paradox, co-production, and deconstruction identify how competing values operate in conceptual configurations, highlighting the limitations and possibilities of security measures to accommodate values of social sustainability. Applying distinct approaches as illustrations for disparate ideological standpoints can deepen the knowledge of how multiple and occasionally competing outcomes are formed while considering the normative foundations enfolding inquiries of security responses to societal challenges.

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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
Co-production, Competing values, Deconstruction, Paradox theory, Security, Social sustainability
in
Sustainability Science
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:85181250381
ISSN
1862-4065
DOI
10.1007/s11625-023-01450-w
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
7bcdd6ae-7d69-4829-b1da-bb4dad82bb45
date added to LUP
2024-02-06 14:52:16
date last changed
2024-02-06 14:53:09
@article{7bcdd6ae-7d69-4829-b1da-bb4dad82bb45,
  abstract     = {{<p>Security and sustainability are prioritized goals in the “Western liberal” world. Maintaining democratic resources while simultaneously strengthening society’s ability to deal with security issues firmly resonates with ideals associated with social sustainability. However, merging normative theories like security and social sustainability produces conceptual difficulties that are hard to resolve. Based on key literature in this field and policy documents from the UN, this article uses conceptual analysis to investigate what boundaries and openings three distinct perspectives of the connection between social sustainability and security might produce. The perspectives chosen as illustrative tools are paradox, co-production, and deconstruction. The paradox perspective pronounces inherently divergent qualities of sustainability and security, which implies a trade-off situation. In contrast, the co-production perspective views social sustainability as a critical component in security issues, while security, in turn, is a prerequisite for sustainability. A third perspective, deconstruction, highlights underlying processes that produce and prioritize specific meanings. The perspectives of paradox, co-production, and deconstruction identify how competing values operate in conceptual configurations, highlighting the limitations and possibilities of security measures to accommodate values of social sustainability. Applying distinct approaches as illustrations for disparate ideological standpoints can deepen the knowledge of how multiple and occasionally competing outcomes are formed while considering the normative foundations enfolding inquiries of security responses to societal challenges.</p>}},
  author       = {{Malmio, Irja}},
  issn         = {{1862-4065}},
  keywords     = {{Co-production; Competing values; Deconstruction; Paradox theory; Security; Social sustainability}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Sustainability Science}},
  title        = {{Can security be sustainable? Three perspectives on security and social sustainability : paradox, co-production, and deconstruction}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11625-023-01450-w}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s11625-023-01450-w}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}