Societal Transitions and Environmental Consciousness through Sustainable Textile Systems: Implications for Social Equity, Ecological Stability, Challenges, and Opportunities

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Vol. 2 No. 2 (2026): In Progress

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Temesgen, A. G., Kaufmann, J., & Cebulla, H. (2026). Societal Transitions and Environmental Consciousness through Sustainable Textile Systems: Implications for Social Equity, Ecological Stability, Challenges, and Opportunities. Social Science Insights and Applications, 2(2), 17-39. https://doi.org/10.65773/ssia.2.2.70

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Authors

Alhayat G. Temesgen*
Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany ; Wollo University, Kombolcha Institute of Technology, Kombolcha, Ethiopia
Jörg Kaufmann
Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany
Holger Cebulla
Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany

Abstract

Textile market clusters represent critical nodes where production, trade, and consumption intersect, yet their potential as sites of socio-technical transformation remains underexplored. This study examines how sustainable practices embedded within specific textile market centers in Ethiopia: Shiromeda, Gulele, and Saris in Addis Ababa, and Shema Tera in Bahir Dar and Kombolcha, shape behavioral change, environmental outcomes, and social equity at the local level. Using a mixed-methods design, we collected data from 150 representatives across six enterprises operating within these clusters. Thematic coding of qualitative interviews was combined with quantitative survey modeling to analyze how market-level dynamics mediate the adoption and diffusion of sustainable textile practices. Findings reveal that these clusters function not merely as commercial spaces but as socio-technical arenas where sustainable practices influence labor norms, gender participation, and supply chain inclusion. Ecologically, enterprises within these centers demonstrate measurable improvements in resource efficiency and waste reduction when sustainability is embedded in operational routines. The study contributes to transition theory by showing how place-specific market structures can catalyze or constrain broader systemic change, offering concrete implications for policy targeting cluster-level sustainability interventions in sub-Saharan African textile economies. 

Keywords:
sustainable textile systems, societal transitions, environmental consciousness, social equity, ecological stability, ethical production

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