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The eco-social approach in social work and the challenges to the expertise of social work
Abstract and Figures
This research examines the way that Finnish community based social workers
constructed eco-social social work in an action research context in the Jyväskylä
region during 1995-2000. Eco-social social work was constructed during the
study in a dialogical process between social workers’ practical action and
practical knowledge. Eco-social social work, as constructed by the social
workers in this study, aimed to exercise an influence by structural means at
various levels of social work and to give a voice to and act as a voice of
marginalised groups. Additionally, eco-social social work seemed to be
horizontal, participative and participatory, including an important element of
reflection upon eco-social self-understanding. This research consists of five
articles and a summary article. The first article introduces social impact
assessment (SIA) as one of the tools of structural and preventive social work
and concentrates on describing SIA and its relationship to eco-social social work
as it was applied in the study. The second article provides a conceptual and
historical overview of German, Anglo-American and Finnish discussions on
ecological social work. The third article studies the strategies and roles of
community based social workers in questions related to the relationship
between the living environment and human welfare in a context of spatial
marginalisation. The fourth article focuses on how community based social
workers conceptualise the relationship between the local living environment
and social exclusion and inclusion processes. The fifth article analyses what
kind of knowledge base the social workers used in constructing their expertise
concerning spatial marginalisation.
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... The view of people and the environment is individualistic and anthropocentric because it was based on meeting human needs, and, although the effect of sanitary conditions on human health was taken into account and the economic and political structural aspects of society were emphasized, the biophysical environmental aspects were ignored . Social work adopts an understanding that does not recognize the human environment as falling within a biological ecosystem and a natural environment with which it relates in a meaningful way (Närhi andMatthies 2016, 2018;Matthies et al. 2001). ...
... For Ramsay and Boddy (2017) the ecosocial approach is multidimensional in that it involves a multi-level assessment, holistic actions and more ecocentric relational practices aligned with the innate value of non-human life. Thanks to this, social workers can enrich their view of the consequences and interdependence of various issues involved in the structural changes and necessary individual subsistence in the context of the surroundings of local life (Närhi 2004). Incorporating the ecosocial perspective allows a seamless view of the traditional levels of practice (Apgar 2021;Powers and Rinkel 2017) and their specific methodologies running from the micro (individuals and families), to the meso (groups and organizations) and the macro (communities and political action). ...
The crisis of civilization we are experiencing unbalances the inter-relational, interdependency and intergenerational relationships of the planetary ecosystem, putting all species at risk. The current relationship between the unlimited economic development model and its social impacts in all regions, territories and communities is analyzed. These are more severe in the global South and the most impoverished populations, which often leads to conflicts, the deterioration of subsystems of life, and, as a result, movements of people. These challenges highlight the close interrelationship between social justice and issues of ecological injustice acting as a new source of inequality. The responsibility of social work, which is called on to incorporate the ecosocial perspective in all its areas and dimensions of practice, is becoming consolidated. To achieve this, five measures are proposed: expanding and strengthening the ethical and political basis of the profession; promoting the skilling-emancipatory models; cutting across all levels, methodologies and action areas; new fields of practice for ecosocial work; and introduction into social work curriculums. Social justice cannot be fully achieved without taking ecological justice into account.
... In this context, social work should conform to and uphold sustainable principles oriented to degrowth (Latouche & Hapagés, 2011), with "ecosocial work" forming part of the main framework in this transitional process, engaging and including the most vulnerable populations. Närhi (2002, p. 37), quoting Matthies (2001, observes that "the eco-social approach in social work is an umbrella concept that provides a useful vantage-point for studying the interface of ecological and social issues". Even if we adopt different terms to refer to ecosocial work, such as "green social work", "ecological social work" or "environmental social work", the main idea is always the same. ...
This chapter assesses the impact of mushroom production and consumption on health and the economy and its potential role in social entrepreneurship led by social workers. The chapter offers a reflexive analysis, with a holistic approach, on the contribution of interdisciplinary approaches to the achievement of goals that promote social inclusion and sustainable development, in harmony with nature. Departing from a social work case study (Mushroom House) located in Azores (Portugal), we will demonstrate the possibilities of an ecosocial work journey through the paths intersecting the social sciences, nutrition sciences and social economy organizations striving for community well-being through circular economy.
... Eventually, especially in Finland, since the late 1990s, the ecosocial work approach has developed which is «understood as a holistic way of viewing living environments, and as a concrete way of involving people in local policy and city planning, as well as an attempt to achieve theoretical conceptions of social work which would be compatible with sustainability» (Matthies et al. 2000: 46). Ecosocial work highlights the imperative for social workers to actively participate in the 'round table negotiations of sustainability' (Närhi 2004) where diverse actors and perspectives converge, giving new lens to the social work practice. In addressing current multifaceted challenges, social work must consider the potential adverse effects of environmental policies, such as the emergence of energy poverty, particularly impacting marginalised and vulnerable groups. ...
This paper aims to explore the connection between social sustainability and participatory processes in the realm of social work, through a theoretical reflection. The guiding research questions for the work are: a) How can user participation enhance the social sustainability of social work? b)What should be the dynamic of participation between institutions and users to ensure the social sustainability of social work? In an effort to address these inquiries, we will initially conduct a comprehensive analysis of the current state of social sustainability literature to underscore the significance of user participation in social work. Subsequently, our focus will shift towards examining various forms and dynamics associated with user participation at the meso level of social work practice within the domain of welfare services in Italy. Our aim is to advocate for the adoption of co-creation processes, characterised by a bottom-linked dynamic, as an innovative approach with the potential to enhance the social sustainability of social work.
... A partir de los años 70, con el auge de los movimientos ambientalistas se retomó tímidamente esta relación entre trabajo social y medio ambiente pero, realmente, no ha sido hasta el siglo XXI cuando se ha avanzado en la construcción epistemológica del Trabajo Social Verde, o también denominado trabajo social eco-social. Los primeros esfuerzos por dotar de contenido teórico-práctico a este campo del trabajo social vinieron de la mano de Matthies y Närhi (Matthies et al., 2001;Närhi, 2004) con una profunda revisión del trabajo social eco-social en la que se revisan datos, métodos y preguntas de investigación y elaboran un proceso de construcción del trabajo social eco-social a partir de conceptos como la sostenibilidad eco-social o el entorno de vida inclusivo. En estos primeros momentos ya refieren la importancia de la emancipación y empoderamiento del trabajo social que parece haber permanecido a la sombra de otras ciencias sociales y, por último, un serio análisis de los desafíos en la práctica del trabajo social eco-social. ...
ndice 1. Introducción 2. Aportaciones del trabajo social al desafío del cambio climático 3. Cambio climático y retos sociales 4. Hacia una definición epistemológica y consensuada del Trabajo Social Verde 5. Conclusiones 6. Referencias bibliográficas 1. Introducción Las previsiones del Panel Integubernamental de Cambio Climático así como las principales predicciones de los organismos referentes a nivel internacional en cuestiones climáticas llevan décadas alertando de la gravedad del ciclo climático en el que nos vamos adentrando paso a paso, a causa de la incidencia de la acción humana en el medio ambiente, donde las consecuencias sociales son ineludibles y los escenarios que se plantean solo contemplan espectros de disminución de un daño que parece ya irreversible. Estas predicciones que, frecuentemente, ponen el foco en escenarios climáticos futuros a 20, 30 o 50 años, no deberían postergar la urgencia de la intervención sobre las causas y consecuencias sociales, pues la incidencia en la sociedad de un clima cada vez más agresivo ya está dejando notables secuelas sociales en todos los rincones del planeta. El aumento gradual de desastres naturales, la prolongación y agravamiento de fenómenos climáticos extremos como sequías, huracanes, inundaciones, etc., unido a la lucha por el control de las materias primas, la tecnologización de la sociedad y la globalización están teniendo consecuencias directas sobre los niveles de bienestar de la población, constituyendo nuevos desafíos a afrontar desde el Trabajo Social. El aumento de los flujos migratorios y personas refugiadas, el incremento de la desigualdad socioeconómica, el aislamiento y abandono de las zonas rurales, la soledad no deseada y exclusión de las personas mayores y otros colectivos con vulnerabilidad social, son solo un pírrico
... This process of discovery and learning should form part of a broader attempt to align interventions by social workers with the ecosocial context. Methods of participatory research, such as social impact assessments, are also of significant importance for social workers and service users-that is, community members (Matthies et al., 2001;Närhi, 2001;Raymaekers, 2010). In the development of new practices, social work can make use of strategies for interdisciplinary multilevel cooperative action, including empowering people, building resilience, and developing social capital (Peeters, 2010). ...
The theme for World Social Work Day (WSWD) 2017 focused on “promoting environmental and community sustainability.” The day celebrated and promoted all the actions related to this theme in which social workers are engaged. The WSWD slogan reiterated the third pillar of the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development, developed by three international social work bodies, and was aligned with the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. The connection between the two agendas is connected to human rights and highlights the need for some theoretical and methodological reflections to deepen the understanding of sustainable development with the aim of identifying and analyzing the foundations of social work education and practice in this field of action. This article presents background information that allows an understanding of the specific importance of social work in the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Curricular planning in social work education should be properly aligned with the SDGs to equip students with the skills and competencies necessary to work with target communities. Incorporating the SDGs into the professional curriculum of social work, as well as creating pedagogical tools to connect with new target groups, should create better opportunities for social workers to enhance their professional activities. As a specific reference, a Chilean experience is presented that demonstrates how the SDGs allow for the implementation of community empowerment strategies and policy advocacy at the local level.
In this chapter I invite social work students and practitioners to make use of environmental writing as a critical and creative methodological practice to include more-than-human perspectives into knowledge and learning in social work. Inspired by feminist and Indigenous and postcolonial writing, I use life writing genres such as diary notes, photography, and poetry to rethink and promote renewed embodied and situated practices for the futures of writing with social work.
The chapter includes illustrations and scenes thematically related to childhood memories from a farm, environmental exhaustion as an alternative to social problems in times when both human and non-human life is threatened, and water as a pathway for social justice. Each section includes brief guidelines for how to make use of one or several of the genres to conduct environmental writing. The implications of the chapter are to promote environmental writing in ecosocial and post-anthropocentric social work.
The ecological crises increase human inequality and vulnerability and among other factors force people to migrate. While the climate crisis is likely to make life gradually harder everywhere, the reception of migrants and the roles and opportunities available for them are enmeshed with prevailing patterns of inequality and privilege. Similar issues are at stake in acute crisis situations impacting local communities and migrants. Social workers are usually among the frontline workers trying to meet the needs of the affected people and enhance resilience at the grassroots. Yet, existing social work degree programs provide hardly any specific training for social workers on crisis preparedness and research on crisis preparedness is limited.
This chapter reflects the teaching and learning experiences from the intensive course Climate Change, Migration and Crisis Preparedness, taught once in Finland in June 2022 and second time in India in January 2023. The course was part of a higher education mobility project focusing on crisis preparedness in social work and involving social work educators and postgraduate social work students from two Finnish and two Indian universities. The chapter discusses the pros and cons of the intensive course format and how it enabled the participants to learn together from the multifaceted subject matter. The discussion elucidates the conceptualization, framing and organization of preparatory sessions, identification of resource materials, and delivery of the course, engaging critically with the active participation of students, their feedback, and field insights from the global north and south.
Portuguese student welfare policy is a field of action in which social workers develop interventions to promote school success, equal opportunities and well-being for students. This study aims to discuss the consequences of monetary support policies and how these are associated with university students’ monetary and emotional safety and academic success. It further analyses managers’ perspectives regarding social workers’ participation in student welfare policy. Mixed research methods were applied, taking into consideration empirical data from three levels of analysis involving different data-processing techniques. The results show that monetary policies contribute to students’ monetary and emotional safety. However, monetary policies have no influence on the time dedicated to school activities. Results also demonstrate that the production of follow-up strategies would benefit from managers fomenting a proactive attitude among social workers.
Social work students are an important segment of the future of the social work profession, therefore investing in their education brings multiple benefits to social work practice. The aim of this paper wasto gain insight into the level of environmental awareness of social work students as well as into their attitudes on green social work. A quantitative research was conducted with 349 participants, among whom there were the students of the bachelor’s and master’s degree program in social work and the students of the master’s degree in social policy and social work. The paper presents the key concepts which are the focus of this research: green social work, environmental awareness and the role of students. The results indicate that students are generally not familiarized with green social work during their studies and that more than half of the students have not heard of the term green social work at all. Environmentally friendly behavior is often present among social work students, but there is room for adopting a more favorable attitude towards water consumption and electronic devices, as well as paper products usage, recycling and the use of long-lasting products. The role of higher education in educating and awareness-raising among students about this issue is becoming a topic of interest for the development of curricula. Key words: green social work; environmental awareness; students
Discusses the structure and procedure for carrying out an SIA. This involves identifying the boundary of the problem, its nature, formulating alternatives, identifying affected parties, the nature of the impacts, and assessing the impacts together with monitoring and management. -Author
"An important, controversial account ... of the way in which man's use of poisons to control insect pests and unwanted vegetation is changing the balance of nature." Booklist.
A substantially reworked and updated edition of a classic text, presenting clear and concise evaluations of the pros and cons of major theories that inform social work practice, as well as comparisons between them.
Transforming Social Work Practice shows that postmodern theory offers new strategies for social workers concerned with political action and social justice. It explores ways of developing practice frameworks, paradigms and principles which take advantage of the perspectives offered by postmodern theory without totally abandoning the values of modernity and the Enlightenment project of human emancipation. Case studies demonstrate how these perspectives can be applied to practice.
This article examines the history and development of critical social work as an approach and a practice. It reviews the major historical perspectives on a critical social work approach and then outlines an approach to critical social work based on the major tenets of critical social theory, which includes postmodern thinking about how beliefs about how knowledge is made and is inextricably linked to power. Specific concepts (knowledge, power, language, and identity) and some specific ways that might translate into the practice of critical social work are also considered. These include critical reflection and deconstruction/reconstruction, problematization and research, narrativity, and contextuality.
The purpose of this chapter is to demonstrate that there have recently been a number of major debates in social theory associated with the notion of postmodernity that should be taken seriously by social workers. Our essential argument is that such debates provide important insights into helping us to understand and conceptualise contemporary social work in a way which can inform practice itself. While the chapter can provide no more than an introduction to the area, we hope to provide sufficient signposts for readers to find their way through an ever-expanding and increasingly complex literature in a way which they will want to take forward. In particular, we will suggest that such a way of thinking is very instructive for articulating and developing notions of reflective practice.