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.

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.