The Concept of Social Sustainability and its Challenges for the Sociology of Social Policy

Abstract

Max Weber considered social policy to be applied sociology. In 2015, the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda with 17 universal Sustainable Development Goals. The main goals and subgoals essentially deal with social policy issues and are linked to economic and ecological demands. In the 21st century, there are many arguments that speak for a sociology that addresses this transdisciplinary and transformative context. This in turn requires a change of perspective, away from a limited socio-ecological view and towards establishing a discourse on social sustainability. To succeed, the established conception of welfare regimes must be transposed to sustainability re-search. The article discusses the issue of normativity that social sustainability has as well as measures for a sustainable social policy. The paper argues in favor of a mixed universalism, termed guarantism, that focuses social policy on participation and identifies modern digital and smart pathways to achieve it.