The Roles of Culture and Values in Sustainable Development

Sustainable development has long been accepted in principle as a good aspiration, yet it has been variably defined and often has been applied in ways that inadequately account for real-world complexities of integrated social-ecological systems. Individualistic and economically centered approaches in development have dominated most programs and policies—over and against more community-oriented worldviews, beliefs, values and ethics of indigenous peoples and local communities globally. Furthermore, it is recognized that virtually all human groups including formal, informal and natural associations, corporations, faith communities, and more, i.e., all major stakeholders and rights holders—have intrinsic cultures (whether these are recognized as such or not) and hold certain values, leading to particular norms and modes of thinking and action. Yet, the critical roles of culture and values for achieving sustainability in diverse social-ecological settings have largely been overlooked, especially with critically important relational values of some stakeholders often ignored or suppressed in favor of narrower economic valuations and consequently with the commodification of nature often implicitly and sometimes explicitly endorsed and promoted by more powerful agencies. In this Special Issue, contributions are sought from a plurality of places and cultures across the world’s diverse socio-ecological systems—seeking to bring together in a single issue a diverse range of players, places, and perspectives—aiming especially to explore how culture and value systems are contributing, positively and negatively, to sustainability. How we see the world around us and how we relate to other stakeholders (and rights holders) is broadly oriented through the “lens” of culture and worldviews, and guided more specifically within the context of deeply held values and socially agreed norms of behavior, i.e., ethics. This Special Issue will draw together experiences and literature from across the fields of social-ecological theory and sustainability science, the latter focused especially on recently emerging dialogues in relational theory and practice; building synergies and crystalizing new ways of envisaging sustainability. Descriptive, normative and mixed contributions are welcome, but all must engage with the broader literature and be informed by concrete examples since sustainability is only ever achieved within the contexts and tangible realities of particular ecological and sociopolitical places and spaces.