Building a child-centered social sustainability framework by integrating ecological systems theory into child and youth studies

Abstract

This study presents a conceptual framework that places children and youth at the center of social sustainability discourse by integrating principles of sustainable development with Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. Although global sustainability agendas increasingly emphasize social, economic, and environmental well-being, the rights, needs, perspectives, and agency of children and youth remain insufficiently represented in policy and scholarly discussions. The proposed framework addresses this gap by positioning children as active participants within interconnected ecological systems that influence their development and well-being, including the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem. Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship in Child and Youth Studies, sustainability science, and ecological systems theory, the framework examines how social sustainability can be embedded within children’s everyday relationships and experiences, institutional structures, community environments, and long-term developmental trajectories. It further identifies opportunities for educators, policymakers, families, and community leaders to create environments that promote equity, inclusion, participation, resilience, and intergenerational well-being. By integrating sustainability with an ecological understanding of development, the framework extends conventional approaches that often treat children primarily as beneficiaries of sustainable development initiatives. Instead, it conceptualizes children and youth as active agents and co-constructors of socially sustainable communities and futures. The study contributes a child-centered perspective to sustainability scholarship while offering a conceptual foundation for designing policies, practices, and learning environments that support children’s participation, agency, and capacity to contribute to just, inclusive, and resilient societies.