Abstract
PurposeEnvironmental social work (ESW) is an approach and a perspective in social work focusing on ecological and environmental sustainability and justice within the context of sustainable development (SD). This study aims to analyse students’ reflective tasks on challenges for ESW education and practice from a critical theory perspective. The purpose of this study is to discuss the implications of the findings for accelerating the implementation of SD in social work curricula.Design/methodology/approachThe research participants comprised 49 master level students from four different cohorts studying the course “Social Work and Sustainable Development” at the University of Gävle, Sweden. The sample comprised only those students who had completed at least one of the three non-mandatory reflective tasks that were set within the course. The reflective tasks of the research participants were gathered as data for this study. A qualitative methodological approach with the help of ATLAS-ti V8.4 was used to analyse the gathered data.FindingsThis study discusses three primary results, which are categorised as “Being Boxed”, “Safe and Saviour Sweden” and “Politics and Power”. Based on the results, this study argues for a transformative and emancipatory pedagogy (TEP) in the teaching and learning of ESW to accelerate the implementation of holistic SD within the social work curriculum.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is mainly based on the analysis of “problematic” discourses of some of the students. The majority of the students and their respective discourses are not considered. Moreover, it would have been interesting, and probably enlightening to explore the background of the students (such as gender, ethnicity and religion) and any concomitant beliefs or prejudices (whether consciously held or otherwise) that would need to be addressed for an effective social work outcome. For ethical reasons, the background of the students was not recorded and analysed in this study.Practical implicationsBased on the results, this study argues for TEP in catalysing environmentalism within the social work curricula.Social implicationsSocial workers have a political mandate from their professional ethics to work for the protection of the planet and for the well-being of all – including non-humans. This study therefore argues for ESW education within social work curricula in promoting SD through social work practice.Originality/valueWithin the context of SD, there is a global call for social work education to shift from an anthropocentric to an eco-centric paradigm. However, ESW education is still in its infancy stage and very few universities are focusing in this particular area. This study therefore brings an important and well-needed layer of empirical evidence in considering the implications for catalysing environmentalism within the social work curricula.
Highlights
1.1 Background Sustainable development (SD) is considered as a holistic and integrative concept that interconnects between the essential dimensions and values for progressing towards a happy, healthy and prosperous society for all over time (Boström et al, 2018)
This study argues for a transformative and emancipatory pedagogy (TEP) in the teaching and learning of Environmental social work (ESW) to accelerate the implementation of holistic SD within the social work curriculum
ESW within the social work curricula has remained at the margin in many countries, including in Sweden (Bowles et al, 2016; Drolet et al, 2015; Gray et al, 2013)
Summary
1.1 Background Sustainable development (SD) is considered as a holistic and integrative concept that interconnects between the essential dimensions and values for progressing towards a happy, healthy and prosperous society for all over time (Boström et al, 2018). The value, importance and popularity of SD as a concept is clearly understood from reading the agenda of international institutions and agencies such as the United Nations’ ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ (UN General Assembly, 2015), and the International Association of Schools of Social Work/International Federation of Social Workers/International Council on Social Welfare’s ‘Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development’ (IASSW, IFSW and ICSW, 2012). Social work is often referred to as a vital agent of social change in society. In this sense, it is argued that social workers have a professional obligation and moral duty for creating conditions and mechanisms for a better living environment for all
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