Sustainability Policies and Social Inequality: Evidence from University Students in Indonesia
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Abstract
This study examines how sustainability policies can alleviate social inequality considering the views of university students in Indonesia. Over the last few years, sustainability has become a prominent feature of strategies of national development meant to facilitate an inclusive growth and social justice. Despite these efforts, social inequality is still a major problem in most developing societies. Using the Social Justice Theory and especially the distributive fairness as conceptualised by Rawls, this research paper will explore the role of sustainability policies in alleviating perceived social inequalities among the youth. The research follows a descriptive research design using a survey method. The structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 150 students of the University of Indonesia. The results show that the level of awareness about the national sustainability policies among the students is moderate, and their perception of the role of these policies in mitigating social inequality is rather high. It is also shown in the results that the most notable challenges are associated with the lack of a bridge between policy development and its actual implementation, and the lack of awareness of sustainability efforts by the population. Moreover, the statistical analysis indicates that there are no significant differences regarding the perceptions of students depending on their gender. The research finds that sustainability policies can contribute to social equity with an effective implementation mechanism, engagement of the people, and inclusive governance. It suggests reinforcing sustainability education within the universities, enhancing youth engagement in sustainability programs, and enhance monitoring systems of policies in order to maximize their contribution to the social justice.
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