Abstract
Reviewing the concept of sustainable development in social discourse. This study originated as an investigation into what people mean by Sustainable Development. It attempted to discover the dimensions underlying the concept and to find out how these are modified by political beliefs or by ways of relating to nature. To achieve this aim, a content analysis was carried out to analyse 132 definitions of Sustainable Development. Within these definitions, 10 dimensions were observed, among which "development" and "nature and the environment" stood out. The study showed that there was a loss of elements among the interviewees with regard to the WCED definition. This suggests that there are communication problems, which affect the expression of what exactly is meant by the concept. Attitudes towards nature affect the way in which this concept is understood, and not the political beliefs of the participants.
