Sustainable Development: Paradigm Shift amid Global Changes

The formation of the concept of sustainable social development in the modern era requires critical examination of environmental, economic, and social processes and the paradigm foundations of sustainable development itself. The current situation of dynamic paradigm pluralism gives rise to the problem of new paradigm formation for the conceptual design of an innovative model for sustainable social development. The scientific need for the analysis of paradigm foundations of the current theory of sustainable social development is substantiated by the fact that understanding the methodological foundations and logical structure of the current model for sustainable development would allow estimating its potential and determining the boundary conditions for these concepts.

Aim. This study aims to determine the directions for the development of a new paradigm of sustainable development that would be most adequate for the processes typical of modern society.

Methods. This study substantiates methods for the formation of a new paradigm of sustainable social development that involve reasoning on the objects of systematic development in order to achieve the required results, i.e., an improved production and consumption culture and social progress. The identified objects include three perspectives: (1) the internal cultural environment, wherein people’s beliefs, habits, and knowledge are formed and practical experience is gained; (2) the external economic environment, which is formed and developed through the integration of economic science and business practices during the economic activities of society that are aimed at ensuring sustainable economic growth and transforming its results into a socially significant effect for the population; and (3) the societal environment, wherein a community of people is formed to satisfy social needs and exercise social control over the members of society.

Results. The relationship between the characteristics of the current sustainable development model based on environmental, economic, and social development and the feasibility of the socially significant objectives of development (improved production and consumption culture and social progress) are determined. Moreover, gaps in the system features of the process of ensuring sustainable social development provided in the theory are identified. A new paradigm for sustainable social development and objects interacting within this paradigm is substantiated according to two key parameters — the definitions of objectives and content—in terms of key elements and relationships, with the identification of public administration as a crucial element. An innovative model for the sustainable development of a society is formed, which is driven by social self­organization in combination with public administration, public incentive­based regulation of the economy and economic activity, aimed at achieving improved production and consumption culture and social progress.

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