Abstract
Keynote
In the context of an accelerating global environmental crisis that threatens the ecology upon which humanity depends, there is an urgent imperative for social workers to reposition their practice towards an ecologically centred stance. Yet, inherent modernist assumptions underpinning conventional social work in industrialised nations restrain social workers from genuinely being able to address ecological and social problems. These modernist assumptions relating to individualism, industrialisation, and capitalism view humans as separate to the natural world, which encourages alienation and a culture of domination towards the misuse of the natural environment. However, by adopting a distinct philosophical base that emphasises holism and inter-dependence, the profession can re-conceptualise an approach to practice that is congruent across the ontological (being), epistemological (thinking) and methodological (doing) dimensions of practice. To explore the effects of this approach, researchers in Finland and Australia engaged with social work practitioners using action-based research to collaboratively plan, implement and evaluate ecosocial work interventions. Outcomes indicated that practitioners increased their capacity to implement ecosocial work interventions at the personal (self), individual and group levels of practice, and to a lesser extent at the community and political levels of practice. While further research is needed, the coming together of practitioners to learn from one another in ‘communities of practice’ may offer a potential way forward for understanding the practical realities of ecosocial work and for advancing practical solutions to the inequitable impacts of the environmental crisis.
In the context of an accelerating global environmental crisis that threatens the ecology upon which humanity depends, there is an urgent imperative for social workers to reposition their practice towards an ecologically centred stance. Yet, inherent modernist assumptions underpinning conventional social work in industrialised nations restrain social workers from genuinely being able to address ecological and social problems. These modernist assumptions relating to individualism, industrialisation, and capitalism view humans as separate to the natural world, which encourages alienation and a culture of domination towards the misuse of the natural environment. However, by adopting a distinct philosophical base that emphasises holism and inter-dependence, the profession can re-conceptualise an approach to practice that is congruent across the ontological (being), epistemological (thinking) and methodological (doing) dimensions of practice. To explore the effects of this approach, researchers in Finland and Australia engaged with social work practitioners using action-based research to collaboratively plan, implement and evaluate ecosocial work interventions. Outcomes indicated that practitioners increased their capacity to implement ecosocial work interventions at the personal (self), individual and group levels of practice, and to a lesser extent at the community and political levels of practice. While further research is needed, the coming together of practitioners to learn from one another in ‘communities of practice’ may offer a potential way forward for understanding the practical realities of ecosocial work and for advancing practical solutions to the inequitable impacts of the environmental crisis.
Original language | English |
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Publication status | Published - 17 Feb 2022 |
Event | National Social Work Research Conference: Environments and structures in social work - University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland Duration: 17 Feb 2022 → 18 Feb 2022 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwzVjuWkuS4 |
Conference
Conference | National Social Work Research Conference |
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Country/Territory | Finland |
City | Jyväskylä |
Period | 17/02/22 → 18/02/22 |
Other | Program attached to PID 556405989 |
Internet address |