<p> This study responds to the call in the ecological literature (Berry 1988, 1999; Macy &amp; Brown, 1998; Spretnak, 2011) for cognitive, spiritual, and relational shifts in humanity's perception and experience of the natural world. It examines the lived experience of a diverse group of Western adults who were initiated into an eco-spiritual Andean indigenous tradition centered upon reciprocity. Andean reciprocity, or <i>ayni </i>, involves maintaining a relationship of mutual exchange with the natural world and implies a paradigm shift, from the dominant Western paradigm to one that views the Earth as animate and able to reciprocate. In this study, reciprocity is explored as a potential means for Westerners to facilitate living in harmony with the natural world. </p><p> This basic qualitative analysis used semi-structured interviews with 8 U.S. residents who were initiated into an eco-spiritual Andean indigenous tradition and report that they actively maintain reciprocity with the natural world three or more years after their initiation. Interviews solicited stories from participants and, in the process, honored the oral culture of the Q'ero, into which the coresearchers were initiated. Data analysis was an inductive process that extracted salient themes from all stories to construct a process of sacred reciprocity for Westerners. </p><p> This study can inform Westerners who are interested in deepening relationship and learning practical ways of being in harmony with the natural world. It can also inform anyone interested in developing skillful means to utilize ancestral teachings in a contemporary context. For Westerners and industrialized societies, these practices and tools could help facilitate ecological citizenry and cultural transformation.</p>

This research explores the possibilities which can emerge from a potential relationship between dance and sustainability. The purpose of this research has been to investigate what discussions around the subject of sustainability are already happening within theoretical circles, dance institutions and what practical avenues are being explored for furthering efforts toward sustainability in the latter. To give practical context to this, the Malmö-based contemporary dance company of Skånes Dansteater is explored as a case study; with reference to the company’s operations and performative works, as well as a significant exploration, in the specific context of cultural sustainability, of the archival project Bevara Rörelse, created and developed by resident archivist Celine Orman.  The results reveal that there is indeed a fluid and vibrant discourse around the subject of sustainability occurring, to varying degrees, within dance institutions, throughout the industry. Furthermore, the case study of Skånes Dansteater reveals how sustainability does not originate solely from institutionalised policy-making. Instead, the results found that sustainability manifests itself in multiple ways and that cultural practitioners – be they artists, archivists, dancers and so on – can respond to issues of sustainability via their respective practices. These practices can be seen as methods of engaging with sustainability; even without definitive intention on the part of the practitioner.  It is hoped that this research will offer some insight(s) into what this could mean for future dance practice, with the instrumental power it possesses, in communicating sustainability and for other means of creative practice – engaging with dance or otherwise – that engage with cultural sustainability. The hope is that such engagements can be valued, with their respective contributions, on the same scale as that of social and natural scientific engagements.

Sustainable development is a big discussion in current society debates. That society and the earth we live on will be developed and planned in a way that focuses on sustainability has high priority in several municipalities in Sweden and as well around the world today. Sustainable development can be defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Previous research notes the absence of cultural sustainability when in explanations of sustainable development, were sustainable development is usually defined as ecological, economic and social sustainability. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether, and if so, how the municipality of Kalmar takes account of and plan for cultural sustainability in the planning of urban environment. Qualitative method is used and research design for this study is a detailed grounded case study based on the municipality of Kalmar´s planning for the urban environment. This is then added in relation to theories of sustainable development and "the creative city" theory. Investigated empirical material has been the municipality´s official documents for urban planning. These documents are a general plan named Comprehensive Plan for the City of Kalmar from 2012, a detailed comprehensive plan called depth comprehensive plan for Kvarnholmen with the surrounding water areas from 2011 and a detailed plan called Order of the detailed plan for the Abborren from 2013 regarding an ongoing project in Kalmar that means creating a cultural center. Results shows that research in cultural sustainability has not been given any public investment which may be a consequence of why the concept does not have a clear meaning in planning documents. This can then lead to that the concept is not given so much space in a municipality's urban planning and that the main focus lies in the dimensions of sustainable development that has been shown to have an impact on a municipality's growth. The two overlying themes that Kalmar is working with to achieve cultural sustainability is preservation and development of cultural heritage and cultural life for increased attractiveness. One clear conclusion is that the authorities do not take as much account of the cultural dimension of sustainable development. More research is needed to get a clear picture of why cultural sustainability is not always included in the sustainability definitions.

Sustainability is one of the key challenges facing society in the twenty-first century. The adoption of sustainable practices in the heritage sector resonates with its long-established objectives to conserve and enhance the historic environment, although its implementation can also present significant dilemmas for the commodification, integrity, authenticity, accessibility and viability of these resources, particularly where sites are tourist attractions. The aim of this thesis was to investigate progress in the adoption of sustainable practices in heritage properties and sites in Devon and Cornwall. The findings were based on the compilation of an inventory of selected heritage resources; an extensive questionnaire survey of managers of historic houses and castles, historic churches, and museums and archives (416 responses), which investigated the extent of, and opinions about, sustainable management approaches; and semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with eight heritage managers, which probed key issues in much greater depth. The results of the research demonstrated some similarities with the adoption of sustainable practices in other sectors, such as the practical issues associated with costs and lack of knowledge. There were also some heritage-specific issues, such as perceived conflicts with protection duties, the consequences of being largely dependent upon volunteer staffing, and the institutional role of larger parent organisations, which have been overlooked in previous research. Most significantly, the results indicated that very few heritage sites produced sufficient surpluses to facilitate investment in sustainable practices that might ultimately enhance their financial viability and fund enhanced conservation activities. Future strategies for the sector as whole must therefore not only deal with capacity-building, such as access to information and training on sector-specific sustainable management, but also address the institutional factors governing heritage in the UK, such as strategic leadership, the most effective models for governance and funding mechanisms for sustainability, and the creation of local and regional heritage networks.

Vernacular houses reflect the social complexity of the times and region in which they exist. These houses are continually evolving in response to changes in the residents’ sense of well-being. However, the rapid progression of modernity and urbanization over the past fifty years has strongly altered the underlying cultural meanings of domestic well-being in traditional societies. This has caused the disappearance of vernacular houses in various localities. The present research is especially concerned with surviving Thai vernacular houses. Its aim is to establish an understanding of the relationship between changes of Thai residents’ experiences of well-being, or Khwam Phasook in the Thai language, and the physical and socio-cultural evolution of their vernacular houses. The study was conducted by examining the evolution of vernacular houses in Tambon Pakkran of Pra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya in central Thailand. Two main types of data were collected: evolution of the physical characteristics of vernacular houses, and the changes of patterns of use and the meanings attributed to them. The data obtained were analyzed and discussed through systemic taxonomy, cross-case analysis and graphical representation using multiple criteria. The residents’ narrations were also used to explicate the historical development of the houses investigated.

Although there has been a growing interest in policy and among scholars to consider culture as an aspect of sustainable development, the understanding of culture within the framework of sustainable development has remained vague. This study sought to discover what influence culture may have on the practical application of the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD). The research focused on the approaches FSSD practitioners take in their application of the framework within different cultural contexts in an attempt both to uncover patterns and to develop guidelines for applying the framework in those contexts with cultural sensitivity. A qualitative research approach was selected, and a literature review and semi-structured interviews were used to elicit the approaches of thirteen FSSD practitioners with experience applying the framework outside of Europe and North America. The results revealed four main cultural factors FSSD practitioners account for when applying the framework in different cultural contexts and four practical strategies used to account for those cultural factors. Based on these discoveries, strategic guidelines were created to complement the FSSD so that it can be more easily applied in different cultural contexts, thereby contributing to the framework’s ultimate goal of accelerating the global transition toward a sustainable society.

The northeast part of Brazil has been the stage for many public policies which are presented as a solution to make the regional economy dynamic and promote the improvement of the quality of life of the population. The execution of the methodology DLIS (Desenvolvimento Local Integrado e Sustentável) Integrated and Sustainable Local Development stands out in this context defining local development strategies through the participation of the communities. From the participative diagnosis in which local problems, vocations and potentialities are pointed out, a development plan is elaborated and a local agenda is extracted. The priority actions of this agenda must be executed by many partners of federal, state and municipal spheres and local civil society organizations. This methodology has been introduced in 26 of the 75 Brazilian municipalities. In the state of Sergipe, it is particularly performed by SEBRAE (Serviço Brasileiro de Apoio às Micro e Pequenas Empresas) - Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service. The development plans, mainly those whose action scale is the locality, can in fact contribute to local sustainable development, if the geographical, political, cultural and historical singularities are considered, and if the participation of all the development actors is assured. Our work is focused on the evaluation of DLIS methodology, without understanding it as a certifiable model of sustainable development to be pursued for all the municipalities. In accordance with our understanding of the importance of this methodology as a development policy and with the necessity of evaluating it under the concrete perspective of its contents, our work attempted to evaluate the impacts of the actions introduced by DLIS/SEBRAE concerned with cultural sustainability and local participation, seen as essential to local sustainable development, taking as case study the municipality of Canindé do São Francisco, in the state of Sergipe and, for that, we considered some setbacks. We analysed that the way of life, the cultural values and the local social actors identities were not taken into consideration in this process. The expectations in relation to local sustainable development were not considered, as well. We have also analysed the insertion degree of local social actors in the participative process and the treatment given to the locality by the methodology. We see this study as a contribution to the evaluation of participative social policy methodologies through a new relation between state and society, and also, as a fertile theme that points out the insertion of the cultural dimension in development plans. The results can be relevant even for policy makers, local development financiers and for non-governamental organizations interested in knowing the impacts of these actions from the evaluation and perception of the alleged beneficiaries. / A região Nordeste vem sendo alvo de diversas políticas públicas apresentadas como soluções para dinamizar a economia regional e promover a melhoria da qualidade de vida da população. Nesse contexto, vem se destacando a execução da metodologia DLIS (Desenvolvimento Local Integrado e Sustentável) que define estratégias locais de desenvolvimento através da participação das comunidades. A partir do diagnóstico participativo no qual são destacados os problemas, as vocações e potencialidades do local é elaborado um plano de desenvolvimento do qual é extraída a agenda local com ações prioritárias que deverão ser executadas por vários parceiros das esferas federal, estadual, municipal e organizações da sociedade civil local. Implantada em todo país, em Sergipe, através da atuação do SEBRAE (Serviço Brasileiro de Apoio às Micro e Pequenas Empresas) a metodologia já foi implantada em 26 dos 75 municípios. Os planos de desenvolvimento, principalmente os que têm como escala de atuação o local, podem de fato contribuir para o desenvolvimento sustentável local, se forem consideradas as singularidades em termos de fatores geográficos, políticos, históricos e culturais e ainda, se for garantida a participação de todos os atores de desenvolvimento. Nosso trabalho está focado na avaliação da metodologia DLIS, sem, no entanto, entende-la como um modelo legitimador do desenvolvimento sustentável a ser perseguido por todos os municípios. Face nosso entendimento da importância dessa metodologia enquanto política de desenvolvimento e a necessidade da mesma ser avaliada sob a perspectiva substantiva de seus conteúdos, nosso trabalho procurou avaliar os impactos das ações implementadas pelo DLIS/SEBRAE no que diz respeito à sustentabilidade cultural e à participação local, preconizadas como indispensáveis ao alcance do desenvolvimento sustentável local, tomando-se como estudo de caso o município de Canindé do São Francisco/SE e, para tal, debruçamos nossas análises a partir de alguns vieses. Analisamos que o modo de vida, os valores culturais, a identidade dos atores sociais locais não foram fatores considerados no processo. Seus anseios em relação ao desenvolvimento sustentável local não foram contemplados. Desvendamos ainda o grau de inserção dos atores sociais locais no processo participativo e o tratamento conferido ao local pela metodologia. Entendemos esse estudo como contribuição à avaliação de metodologias de políticas sociais participativas que propõem uma nova relação entre Estado e sociedade, mas também, como tema fecundo que ressalta a inserção da dimensão cultural nos planos de desenvolvimento. Os resultados podem ser relevantes ainda para os formuladores de políticas públicas sociais, agentes de financiamento ao desenvolvimento local e organizações do terceiro setor interessados em conhecer os impactos dessas ações a partir da avaliação e percepção dos seus supostos beneficiários.

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When we are outdoors we rely on the things we bring. By questioning, if the outdoors are freely accessible and detached from our capitalistic world, I identified that to- day’s outdoor equipment industry is not only enjoying great popularity, but is also having the tendency to stay in its comfort zone, mainly engaging in ecological spheres of sustainability. With my bachelor’s thesis project, Friluftsliv för Alla?, I had the aim to initiate a shift, to broaden one’s mind, and to put a focus beyond the sustainability indicator of a product. Together with my collaborator ‘Friluftsfrämjandet’, a Swedish outdoor association, I shared concerns about social-cultural sustainability in the area of outdoor recreation, and started to look at the people who are in need of gear. An item that sparked a lot of my interest was the indispensable shelter, that is needed when we want to spend a good amount of time outside in nature. With the help of my sponsors and other stakeholders I was able to craft a fully functioning tent, that is supposed to be used and shared unconditionally.

abstract: This study argues for Indigenous-led community development as a salient field of study whereby both theory and practice would be held to the goals of decolonizing entrenched systems that suppress indigeneity, as well as embodying processes to rediscover, regain, and reimage aspects integral to Indigenous well-being and sustainability. Building on fieldwork with Cherokee youth in Stilwell, OK using community mapping and photovoice methods, it is argued that holistic and culturally relevant frameworks that fully situate such salient factors are needed when examining topics related to sustainability, well-being, and resurgence in Native American communities. Utilizing youth narratives, the study proposes a starting point for a Cherokee-led community development framework. / Dissertation/Thesis / Project Booklet / Doctoral Dissertation Community Resources and Development 2016