SWU 171 Intro to social workdr. hilary Haseley, phd, msw, acue
Environmentalism and Social Work
Social Work Leadership in Environmentalism
National Association of Social Workers
1999: Delegate Assembly of NASW declared environmental exploitation violated social justice, and therefore, the Code of Ethics
Social work came to embrace environmentalism as part of the profession’s mandate
Council on Social Work Education
Council of Social Work (CSWE): National accrediting body of social work education programs
Declared in 2010 that sustainability was the social just issue of the 21st century
Human behavior in the social environment is a key part of social work education
Cox, Introduction to Social Work, 3e. © 2022 SAGE Publishing.
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Environmentalism and Social Work
Ecological Social Welfare and Practice
Ecological social welfare: A process of planned, inclusive social change designed to promote people’s welfare in conjunction with a comprehensive program of economic activities within the tenets of environmental justice
Principles of ecological social welfare practice
Intrinsic value of each individual
Unique solutions from diversity of culture and social organization
Service delivery system managed by community members
Public policy that provides resources to sustain communities’ well-being
Benchmark of social and economic development: what is good for individuals and communities
Sustainability
Principles
Concern and respect for earth’s finite resources
Holding people accountable for their actions
Aligning social work practice and policy with the goal of global justice
Extolling social solidarity, diversity, and empowerment
Areas of growing attention
Electric cars and charging networks
Plastic
Cox, Introduction to Social Work, 3e. © 2022 SAGE Publishing.
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Environmentalism and Social Work
Ecological justice
Ecological justice: All life deserves justice, and each nation’s behavior toward the environment affects all other nations; the needs of nature align with the needs of people
Striking a balance between the needs of people and the natural world
Ecological ethics
Ecological ethics: An idea suggesting that social work must consider its ethical position regarding the value placed on nature for the sake of nature
Author, Title and Edition. © 20XX SAGE Publishing.
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Environmental Issues
Overpopulation
Global water and sanitation, global hunger, energy, overcrowding, migration.
Current global population is over 7 billion
Problems caused by overpopulation
Global water shortages and sanitation concerns
Global hunger
Greater need for energy resources—renewable energy can help here
Overcrowding—makes hygiene, privacy, and quiet more difficult to obtain
Migration—increasingly from poor countries with few opportunities
Cox, Introduction to Social Work, 3e. © 2022 SAGE Publishing.
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Environmental Issues
Pollutants
Pollution is the deposit of harmful materials into water, air, and soil
Major human problems associated with pollution
Air: Diseases, depletion of the ozone
Water: Diseases and illnesses, birth defects, reproductive ability
Land: Cancer, repository problems, skin diseases, difficulty with crops
Cox, Introduction to Social Work, 3e. © 2022 SAGE Publishing.
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Environmental Issues
Climate Change
Includes temperature, wind patterns, and precipitation changes.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) actions
Cox, Introduction to Social Work, 3e. © 2022 SAGE Publishing.
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Environmental Issues
Environmental Disasters
Environmental disasters: Events occurring in the natural world that cause serious disruptions to human activity
In order to participate, we must:
Educate social workers on trauma and protracted recovery phase of disasters
Understand unique cultural features of disasters
Understand consequences of disasters for vulnerable populations
Research disaster responses
Take leadership roles in disaster relief
Design effective and efficient strategies for disaster recovery
Flooding
Overland floods are most common, with rivers/streams overflowing
Floods may happen suddenly and give people little time to escape or save belongings, or to protect their property
Drought
Unusually persistent dry weather that can damage crops and threaten animal life
Types of droughts
Meteorological: Much lower-than-normal participation
Agricultural: Moisture in the soil cannot sustain crops
Hydrological: Surface or subsurface water is below normal supply
Socioeconomic: Physical and water shortages begin to impact people
Cox, Introduction to Social Work, 3e. © 2022 SAGE Publishing.
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Environmental Issues
Hurricanes
Large storms that may last up to a week with devastating wind and rain
Storm surges are often most dangerous part of a hurricane
Social workers can take roles as first responders to help people prepare for storms and recover after they pass
Famine
The scarcity of food, responsible for hunger, malnutrition, starvation
Can be caused by flooding
Green Revolution of 1970s/1980s increased grain production but decimated groundwater supplies and increased pesticide use
Author, Title and Edition. © 20XX SAGE Publishing.
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Diversity and Environmentalism
Class
Economically challenged people suffer most in natural disasters and have least access to recovery services and private assets
Social workers can encourage clients at all income levels to have disaster preparedness plans
Cox, Introduction to Social Work, 3e. © 2022 SAGE Publishing.
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Diversity and Environmentalism
Gender and Sexual Orientation
Women in poverty are particularly vulnerable to disasters, and their children may be similarly endangered
Women’s lack of power and subordination in societies is a key factor in their vulnerability to disaster effects
Women must be included as equal partners in disaster mitigation planning
Queer ecology integrates LGBTQ+ theories with ecology
Cox, Introduction to Social Work, 3e. © 2022 SAGE Publishing.
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Diversity and Environmentalism
Race and Ethnicity
Higher likelihood that people of color live near polluters and breathe polluted air
Environmental racism involves regulations and policies that target certain communities for locally undesirable land uses along with lax regulations of industries
Cox, Introduction to Social Work, 3e. © 2022 SAGE Publishing.
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Diversity and Environmentalism
Age
Older people are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters
May be more reluctant or less able to evacuate, or be more isolated than others
Social workers can enhance sustainability efforts to help the environment sustain older people as well
Cox, Introduction to Social Work, 3e. © 2022 SAGE Publishing.
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Dynamic Advocacy and Environmentalism
Supportive Environment
The person-in-environment perspective needs to expand to include the natural environment rather than only the social
Social work practices and policies need to recognize environmental concerns as an important driving factor
In our various roles as social workers, we need to recognize the mutually supportive relationship between people and the environment
Cox, Introduction to Social Work, 3e. © 2022 SAGE Publishing.
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Dynamic Advocacy and Environmentalism
Human Needs and Rights
Pollution is often caused by affluence and disproportionately impacts those who struggle economically
Oppressed people are rarely consulted about negative environmental impacts of pollution and tend not to benefit from relevant policies
Human rights are risked when environmental degradation is ignored
Cox, Introduction to Social Work, 3e. © 2022 SAGE Publishing.
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Dynamic Advocacy and Environmentalism
Political Access
Grassroots movements have impacted policymakers regarding environmental issues
Fracking is an issue of current concern, as it can release chemicals that poison well water and aquifers, and even the air, as well as cause other health hazards
Cox, Introduction to Social Work, 3e. © 2022 SAGE Publishing.
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