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SX Circles of Sustainability.

An adaptation of the model that is more suitable for technology innovation and introduction of new technologies into society. The model removes the #Politics circle and adds an all-pervasive #Technology circle.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circles_…

#SX #Sustainability #HarmoniousTechnology #HumaneTechnology

Diagram showing the revised version of the Circles of Sustainability model as SX defines it. Three circles overlap each other in a Venn diagram with the sweet spot in the center. These represent Culture, Ecology and Economics. Surrounding all three circles is the fourth circle of Technology.
Politics and power dynamics are intricate emergent forces that depend on social context and permeate our social fabric. “How can you just eliminate the Politics circle?”, one may ask. In FOSS circles there are many who feel that “All tech is political”, or even that everything is political. Politics, or rather power dynamics, are an emergent force. A very nuanced and intricate force that permeates the social fabric of society and has different names that depend on social context, participants and the kind of human activities they are involved in. “Politics” itself can be said to constitute a social construct when adopting the societal perspective of SX, albeit not a very useful one. By eliminating the circle SX encourages a focus shift that avoids the inevitable negative impact on any discussion once the word “politics” is dropped, and everyone has their own perception of what that entails. The term is too vague, too overloaded, and even weaponised. It’s use has the effect that heels go in the sand, ideologies are brushed up, and arguments prepared for the fight with ‘political opponents’ - instead of coworkers - in fierce, often heated debate. For furtile cocreation a safe and inclusive environment is a requirement. Places where people are stimulated to be creative and open-minded in the discussion of fresh ideas. There is a time and place for constructive political discussion and debate, but politics should not be the default modus operandus that sets tone and culture.

methods for understanding and assessing the sustainability, and management projects aimed at socially sustainable outcomes

Contributors to Wikimedia projects (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.)
#politics #technology #sustainability #humanetechnology #sx #harmonioustechnology
in reply to just small circles 🕊

just small circles 🕊
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just small circles 🕊
• •
@jenniferplusplus the other day when I was musing about politics I was having this model, relating to Social experience design, in the back of my head.
@Jenniferplusplus
in reply to just small circles 🕊

Dawn Ahukanna
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Dawn Ahukanna
• •
thanks for sharing the source and your adaptation.
1. Since technology is an outcome of ecology, economics & culture, it would not bound them in a super set but is an intersecting subset I.e. technology = ecology ⋂ economics ⋂ culture.
2. By removing “politics & power dynamics” you have simplified & ignored a key component of decision making for sustainability e.g. we haven’t abandoned fossil fuel for more environmentally sustaining alternatives because of global power dynamics.
in reply to Dawn Ahukanna

just small circles 🕊
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just small circles 🕊
• •

@dahukanna you are not wrong. This model has specific scope and purpose: cocreation in grassroots commons.

Politics is explicitly not ignored, but acknowledged and considered at every level in how it rears up its head. SX is founded and has as starting point at a most personal perspective where every participant counts as stakeholder in a solution whose needs are taken into account. This is where it addresses things like inclusion, among others.

@Dawn Ahukanna
in reply to just small circles 🕊

just small circles 🕊
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just small circles 🕊
• •

@dahukanna

Starting at personal perspective, working through inter-personal relationships, to finally consider the complex social construct that are thus formed in what we call society. Power dynamics is in every fibre of the social fabric, working its subtle ways and must be understood in all its nuance when modeling solutions.

It's just not named "politics". Do we think that US Republicans and Democrats could cocreate software together on the basis of bipartisan politics?

@Dawn Ahukanna
in reply to just small circles 🕊

just small circles 🕊
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just small circles 🕊
• •

@dahukanna

Using that particular context is not a useful vantage point for solution design. Generally speaking "Politics" as a label that is liberally slapped around by anyone who has an agenda is not conducive to create an environment and atmosphere where people should be coworkers freely able to finding solutions to wicked problems.

As the text mentions, there's are appropriate time for constructive political discussion and debate. But not everything is politics. Life itself is not politics.

@Dawn Ahukanna
in reply to just small circles 🕊

Dawn Ahukanna
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Dawn Ahukanna
• •
I would argue that life is political as long as there are hierarchical and patriarchal power dynamics. I have to consider how I navigate them every waking hour or without cause most people could have any number of actions taken against them e.g. In most western countries, I’m automatically assumed to be a refugee, engaged in some kind of nefarious activity or cognitively limited because of biological melanin levels.
in reply to Dawn Ahukanna

just small circles 🕊
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just small circles 🕊
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@dahukanna

I get that, and I agree with what we want to achieve by saying that too. It is just a very bleak outlook on life, if we'd make that the going terminology and language in which we socially interacted with each other all of the time.

"Son, you were born now. Know that it was a political act, a deal between me and your mother. You came forth and are now also member of the party, and we expect you to subscribe to and spread our ideology. So long as you do, we cover each others backs."

@Dawn Ahukanna
in reply to just small circles 🕊

just small circles 🕊
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just small circles 🕊
• •

@dahukanna just drawing it into an extreme to show how weird that would be, if we talked that way on the basis that everything is political.

We call things differrent names in different contexts, and these are more human and social names, softer, subtler and more nuanced approaches, than the political angle.

It is more difficult to approach someone on the basis of deep empathy and humanity, and truly help them, than to start a political discussion with them. Making everything politics is lazy.

@Dawn Ahukanna
in reply to just small circles 🕊

just small circles 🕊
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just small circles 🕊
• •

@dahukanna

It would not imbibe trust in me if during an open discussion a political warrrior suddenly entered the fray and passive-aggressively pointed out "you better do it this way" and with an implied "or else..". These things only serve to stop the creative discussion and solution orientation short in its tracks, and shy people to rather keep their mouth shut.

In such situations I ask myself about these people: "Are you perhaps out for political influence and power play yourself?"

@Dawn Ahukanna
in reply to Dawn Ahukanna

just small circles 🕊
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just small circles 🕊
• •

I value your feedback just as much. 🤗

As for the other circles and the pervasive role of Technology in this model.

The pervasive role is an observation of the current society we live in, a technosphere or technocracy. Everything we do depends on global high-tech supply lines. A society where we literally clamor for digital transformation in hopes of coping with all the tech.

SX is focused on shifting that role. Tech is a given, solutions that satisfy people's needs get main focus.

This entry was edited (4 months ago)
in reply to just small circles 🕊

just small circles 🕊
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just small circles 🕊
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@dahukanna

Regarding the pervasive Tech circle, consider this..

If you're an office clerk, your job may be entirely defined by the software that runs on your desktop. You are allowed to live further from work by super advanced driving machines (which somehow have become drenched with surveillance technology), and at home first thing you do is turn on the smart TV (which surveils you, same as your IoT Bosch washing machine) and drink a Red Bull that needed several chemical plants to produce it.

@Dawn Ahukanna
in reply to just small circles 🕊

just small circles 🕊
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just small circles 🕊
• •

@dahukanna

And then I did not even mention AI yet, where many 1,000's of people talking full-time about Responsible and Ethical AI could not avoid that it was nonetheless mindlessly dumped into society at scale and breakneck speed, and damn the consequences. 😬

@Dawn Ahukanna
in reply to just small circles 🕊

just small circles 🕊
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just small circles 🕊
• •

@dahukanna

Mentioning this, as I regularly point out some ethical considerations for grassroots evolution of the fediverse, which aren't very popular. I hint at the fact that we may be working on the good stuff yet at the same time are also not fully aware of the externalities. That may be uncomfortable and people do not want to think about too much. If we're all individually ethical, this does not guarantee the ethical outcome at large scale.

socialhub.activitypub.rocks/t/…

social.coop/@smallcircles/1136…


Fediverse, ActivityPub and the Ethics

Musing out loud some casaul philosophical reflection on fedi and tech ethics, related to this toot: In our FOSS movement and the social impact movements that favor the fediverse we value a set of principles we think are essential to improve all t…
SocialHub

just small circles 🕊

2024-12-14 18:18:46

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💖 #fedi
"Don't make me tap the sign" meme with the sign reading "☠️ ☠️ attn: do not build SkyNet™#fedizens 💖".

@Dawn Ahukanna
in reply to just small circles 🕊

just small circles 🕊
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just small circles 🕊
• •

@dahukanna

One topic that might be up for more discussion is that while we are rightfully very proud about the achievements around FOSS, we still have a responsibility not to let it fall in the hands of the big tech giants in ways that are detrimental to society (which they observably are). And from that perspective a license protection based on copyright laws is a feeble protection. Should we just R&D and build in public with the bad actors in thee room, see what happens? That's the question.

@Dawn Ahukanna
in reply to just small circles 🕊

Dawn Ahukanna
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Dawn Ahukanna
• •
“Should we R&D & build in public with bad actors in the room, see what happens?” - No, as that does not address the power dynamics.
According to Mary Parker Follet 100 year old writing, there are:
1. P1:Power over(hierarchal and authoritative)
2. P2:Power with(shared)
3. P3: Power to(empower others)
P2 & P3 combine with P4:power within(self confidence) to enable creative expression & innovation.
FOSS relying on licensing that P1 ignores & not finding ways to enable P2,P3&P4=error.
in reply to just small circles 🕊

Oleastre
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Oleastre
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It makes sense if you suppose politics have been subjugated by technology.
But it is not sustainable at all at present.
in reply to Oleastre

just small circles 🕊
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just small circles 🕊
• •

@oleastre you are right in stating that.

PS. I gave some more context in response to @dahukanna in this toot..

mastodon.social/@dahukanna/114…

Dawn Ahukanna

2025-07-25 08:33:11

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thanks for sharing the source and your adaptation.
1. Since technology is an outcome of ecology, economics & culture, it would not bound them in a super set but is an intersecting subset I.e. technology = ecology ⋂ economics ⋂ culture.
2. By removing “politics & power dynamics” you have simplified & ignored a key component of decision making for sustainability e.g. we haven’t abandoned fossil fuel for more environmentally sustaining alternatives because of global power dynamics.

@Dawn Ahukanna @Oleastre
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