Review article
Place of Living and Integral Sustainability – Vitality of Local in a Globalized World
Marija GEIGER
orcid.org/0000-0002-1192-4722
; Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb
Zdenko ZEMAN
orcid.org/0000-0002-3005-0995
; Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb
Abstract
Starting from the idea that global and local are not
diametrically opposite, but complementary terms/concepts,
the authors have analyzed potentials of the place of living in
promoting sustainability in the context of a constantly
globalizing world. The idea of local is connected with
concretedness, rootedness and contextualisation. The place is
not conceived as simple physical location but as a social
construct, created by different elements: territoriality,
particular meanings, power distribution, knowledge etc. As a
social reality, the local is a product of processes and
interactions of different internal and external factors and
actors. The paper has been analyzed, from the aspect of
sustainability, fruitfulness of qualitative understanding of
place and potentials of bioregional perspective, which
establishes the concepts of "place attachment" or "sense of
place". The statements of interviewers in the village Kuterevo
(Lika County) have been analyzed. The sense of mutual closeness and independence between people and place and
their living, and practices of respect and active sustenance of
environment have been shown as crucial factors in achieving
sustainability. The socio-cultural and political components of
sustainability were elaborated as important parts of the
integral sustainability. The authors referred to the elementary
principles of three conceptions which suggest constructive
methods for an efficient and consistent practice of
sustainability – bioregional, ecofeminist and deep ecology.
While bioregional perspective increases sensitivity to the local
dimension, ecofeminist and deep ecology concepts allow its
correct positioning in the local-global continuum.
Keywords
local; global; integral sustainability; local sustainability; biocultural diversity; bioregionalism; ecofeminism; deep ecology
Hrčak ID:
55442
URI
Publication date:
30.6.2010.
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