ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the concept of social sustainability and how it relates to the role of the midwife and maternity services more generally. It critiques the concepts of social capital and social capacity because these are terms frequently cited in the literature in relation to social sustainability. The original concept of sustainability, presented by the Brundtland Commission in 1987, placed social issues on equal terms with economic and environmental concerns. Philosophically, the midwifery model represents a holistic approach that incorporates social, cultural, spiritual and psychological as well as physiological elements. The midwife as social connector acts as a catalyst in the network by negotiating the partnership with the woman, encouraging active involvement of the woman’s partner or her whanau/family members and facilitating the eco-niche of the mother/baby dyad. The social determinants of health are echoed in the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals which are another important consideration in relation to sustainable midwifery practice.
