"Up and Down with ecology—the issue-attention cycle” by Anthony Downs is celebrating a golden anniversary this year. The example fifty years ago relates to ecology, but the principles are the same for current and re-emergent issues such as Civil Rights, HIV/AIDS, obesity, immigration, natural disasters, homeland security, global warming, and oil spills, as well as COVID.    

As discussed in the most recent two BZP Bulletins, addressing social sustainability is as important as starting a project to improve a person, organization, or community. What prevents sustainability is the question addressed by Downs, who dissects the systemic process of heightened public interest in major issues that are followed by an increase in boredom as people realize the cost and requirements. When applied to the current interest in addressing the social determinants of health on the morbidity and mortality of COVID in disadvantaged communities, the same beliefs can be applied.

Downs’s five-stage Attention Cycle does not necessarily need to be followed exactly and some steps may be skipped over. But the conclusion is usually the same—public interest fades parallel to the opportunity for sustainability.

1. Pre-Problem Stage: An undesirable issue exists of which experts are aware, but it has not been featured due to being too painful or hard to change. Consider inner-city, resource-stressed communities that were the first to suffer in the most recent pandemic. These communities also harbored inequities of all types and were neither diverse nor inclusive.
2. Alarmed Discovery and Euphoric Enthusiasm: The public becomes aware of a problem, with a recent tragic example of high-profile, lawless homicides. Then the society demands change.
3. Realizing the Cost of Significant Progress: People discern that the cost of solving the problem requires both sacrifices from them and long-term financial support, perhaps over generations.
4. Gradual Decline in Public Interest: Some well-meaning citizens and organizations, including governmental entities, get discouraged as they perceive the cost of solving the issue; others feel threatened or simply become bored.
5. The Post-Problem Stage: A “twilight realm of lesser attention or spasmatic recurrences of interest” develops with periodic awakening, but overall, the public and media have moved on to the next interest or crisis.

Downs states that most commonly, some groups or minorities are more impacted than others. Additionally, winners and losers can be created by shifting resources such as jobs, natural resources, business opportunities, or other privileges. Those losing an advantage obviously feel threatened and prefer the status quo even though they may intellectually understand the underlying need for change.  

No perfect solution exists but other societies and civilization have shared optimistic conclusions over generations including Confucius: “If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character. If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home. If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.”

Attributes that promote social sustainability not only will help everyone in an organization or community but also will free up resources to address other worthy challenges.