Social sustainability: what implications for social work?

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper addresses the lack of clarity regarding social sustainability and the scarcity of guidance on how social workers may achieve it in their daily practice. The research delves into the concept from the viewpoint of 140 Italian social workers, presenting findings from exploratory research conducted between September 2022 and January 2023. The research aims to answer two questions: 1) How do social workers perceive the link between social sustainability and social work? 2) What conditions favour or hinder the social sustainability of social work in its daily practice? The study employed a structured online interview with closed and open-ended questions, investigating the social sustainability definition and its implications for social work. The results shed light on equity and social justice as the main elements of socially sustainable social work. They also highlight the importance of inter-sectoral collaborations and organisational interventions to contribute to social sustainability.