Green Social Work Research Articles

Social work practice during times of disaster: A transformative green social work model for theory, education, and practice in disaster interventions

Social work practice during times of disaster: A transformative green social work model for theory, education, and practice in disaster interventions

Social Work Practice During Times of Disaster: A Transformative Green Social Work Model for Theory, Education and Practice in Disaster Interventions

Social Work Practice During Times of Disaster: A Transformative Green Social Work Model for Theory, Education and Practice in Disaster Interventions

Integrated developmental and green social work field education to control fall armyworm Infestation in maize crops in Malawi

In Malawi, fall armyworm (FAW) infestation in maize crops is a problem of public importance as it reduces maize yields and exacerbates household food insecurity. In addition to pest resistance, the use of synthetic pesticides to control FAW negatively affects the health of farmers and the environment. Biochemical pesticides from plants contain naturally non-toxic chemotypes and are effective in controlling pests. Tephrosia vogelii plants contain these bioactive phytocompounds that have pesticidal properties. Geographical location and plant species influence the occurrence of phytocompounds in Tephrosia vogelii. Farmers in Sub Sahara-Africa are using Tephrosia vogelii as a pesticide but there are mixed research findings regarding its effectiveness in controlling FAW pests. This study was informed by developmental and Green Social Work frameworks to compare the effectiveness of Tephrosia vogelii leaves extracts, Belt 480 SC, and soap solution in controlling FAW in maize gardens. The study employed a randomized complete block design with four replication gardens and was conducted from November 2022 to March 2023. A social work field education student was assigned to coordinate the project. The study affirmed that the sampled Tephrosia vogelii leaf extracts contained pesticidal chemotypes. The results of field gardens suggest that Tephrosia vogelii leaf extracts have similar potency to Belt SC 480 chemical pesticide. It has been identified that Boom detergent soap is not as effective as Tephrosia vogelii leaf extracts. The study has social work field education implications for empowering practicum students to gain community mobilization skillsets, to participate in environmental justice advocacy, and to uphold social work values.

Transforming field education in social work: A special issue on field education

Welcome to this special issue of Transformative Social Work, dedicated to social work field education. As we navigate a rapidly changing world, the need for dynamic and impactful field education has never been more crucial. This special issue brings together a diverse range of perspectives and innovative approaches, highlighting how field education can be transformative in both practice and theory. In this collection of thought-provoking articles, we explore the latest research and new practices that are reshaping the way social work students, field educators, and practitioners engage with the field. Articles include discussions on Indigenous field education, developmental and green social work approaches, and field models such as macro placements, self-directed placements, and rotational hospital placements. We also feature the experiences of practicum students during the COVID-19 pandemic and examine what motivates field instructors to engage in field education. As we look to the future, the aspirations and commitments articulated by our contributors in this special issue offer a hopeful vision. The articles in this issue illuminate the adaptability of social work students, field educators, researchers, and practitioners, particularly in the face of unprecedented global disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The innovations not only address current challenges but also lay the groundwork for more dynamic and responsive field education programs. There is a collective resolve to integrate lessons learned, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and uphold the principles of social justice that underpin our profession. By doing so, we can ensure that social work field education continues to evolve in ways that are inclusive, effective, and aligned with the needs of our diverse communities. We invite you to explore these contributions, reflect on their insights, and consider how they might inspire and inform your own practice in field education.

Book Review: Social work practice during times of disaster: A transformative green social work model for theory, education and practice in disaster interventions by Dominelli Lena

Book Review: <i>Social work practice during times of disaster: A transformative green social work model for theory, education and practice in disaster interventions</i> by Dominelli Lena

The Role of Social Workers in Advancing Sustainable Development Goals: Green Social Work Perspectives

This paper aims to investigate the role of social workers in the sustainable development process. It extends the discussion on the ethical considerations that many social workers face when focusing on direct interventions, which are often based on traditional social care approaches. This focus can lead to the neglect of social welfare provision due to the prioritization of community intervention schemes. To understand these circumstances, this research involves a review of existing literature across Indonesia. A comprehensive analysis of the literature reveals that it is essential for conducting research, as it highlights the lack of numerous practitioners dedicated to maintaining a balance between nature and human life. The findings indicate that green social work perspectives are not effectively applied to interventions involving groups or individuals, and there is a notable lack of awareness among policymakers regarding the need to reformulate social welfare production, which contributes to environmental exploitation. In light of these findings, we recommend that policymakers and social workers prioritize addressing environmental damage within development programs. Keywords: Green social work, sustainable development, community interventionStudi ini berusaha menggali topik atas peran pekerja sosial dalam proses pembangunan berkelanjutan. Apa yang dianggap bahwa etika pekerja sosial yang berfokus pada narasi direct-intervention cenderung mengutamakan pendekatan social care approach, namun isu lingkungan menjadi narasi penting dalam proses intervensi komunitas sebagai langkah afirmatif dalam penyelenggaraan kesejahteraan berbasis green social work. Untuk mengetahui tools tersebut, studi ini merupakan analisis literature perkembangan yang terjadi pada konteks Indonesia. Dari sekian banyak referensi yang dijadikan sumber primer penelitian, peneliti menemukan bahwa serangkaian proses pembangunan masih lemahnya para praktisi dalam memproteksi keselarahan antara alam dan manusia. Ini mengindikasikan bahwa green social work masih tersegmentasi pada intervensi komunitas dan individu, namun belum menyentuh kesadaran para pemangku kepentingan sehingga eksploitasi alam masih kerap ditemukan. Dengan pemetaan tersebut, studi ini dapat menjadi rekomendasi praktis para pekerja sosial dan policymaker dalam merumuskan analisis dampak lingkungan pada perencanaan pembangunan agar tidak terjadi kembali eksploitasi alam dan kerusakan lingkungan. Kata kunci: Green social work, pembangunan berkelanjutan, intervensi komunitas

Book Review: Social Work Practice During Times of Disaster: A Transformative Green Social Work Model for Theory, Education and Practice in Disaster Interventions

Book Review: Social Work Practice During Times of Disaster: A Transformative Green Social Work Model for Theory, Education and Practice in Disaster Interventions

Social work: From the settlements and a casework to the theories of ecosocial work

The article presents some threads of the debate over the search for a theory of human-environment relationships for social work practice from the dawn of this work at the end of the 19th century to today, that is, from the holistic through individualistic, and psychosocial concepts to the paradigm of ecosocial work from the perspective of threats of a global catastrophe. As the examples of approaches to that paradigm green social work developed by L. Dominelli, slow social work by V. Bozalek and social work as sensitive public pedagogy by M. Mendel are presented. The issue of finding effective relationship of social ecopractice to the controversial strategies of sustainable development versus degrowth on a global scale is also highlighted. The article also includes suggestions for expanding knowledge about the theories and practice of ecosocial work, referring to specific texts available in open access on the Internet. The conclusion of the article includes an indication of some barriers to overcome for an introduction the ecosocial work theories into practice.

Innovative Green Social Work Practices for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development

This study explores innovative practices in social work methodologies aimed at environmental protection and promoting sustainable development. In the face of an escalating environmental crisis, this approach integrates the principles of ecological preservation and social equity to address complex global challenges. This paper also underscores the role of green social work in promoting environmental preservation, fostering sustainable progress, and enhancing community welfare. It examines a range of creative initiatives, including grassroots efforts, policy reform advocacy, educational outreach, and the establishment of collaborative partnerships, illustrating the significant contribution of social work to ecological sustainability. Furthermore, it addresses the challenges faced in implementing these initiatives and the importance of active community participation. In conclusion, it calls for a collective effort from social workers, policymakers, environmental advocates, and the broader community to tap into the transformative potential of green social work, guiding us towards a more sustainable and equitable future. Key words: Environment protection, Sustainability, Green Social Work, Practices.

Internationalisation of Social Work

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; The article explores the internationalisation of social work from a historical point of view to Indigenous approaches and discusses the concepts of indigenisation, authentication and reconceptualisation. It demonstrates the importance of shifting away from the dominant western perspective on knowledge as well as away from the idea of a universal Social Work and focuses on philosophies and approaches of the Global South. Dialogue as praxis, enablement, and empowerment as well as translation and an ethnological view as methods of internationalisation of Social Work are emphasised. Subsequently, perspectives of Radical as well as Green Social Work and postcolonial feminist approaches within the profession are presented, which can contribute to a desired interwoven, mutually supporting Social Work. The outlook shows the importance of international and cross-cultural exchange between social workers. It emphasizes on sharing of and learning about local methods and practices from other parts of the world, to develop common ideas. In this context self-reflection of the profession and social work- ers is crucially value.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Social work practice during times of disaster: a transformative green social work model for theory, education and practice in disaster interventions

Social work practice during times of disaster: a transformative green social work model for theory, education and practice in disaster interventions

The Consideration of Animals Within Australian Social Work Curriculum

ABSTRACT There is growing impetus for social work to move beyond a human-centric social justice orientation to include the consideration of animals. Social work programs in Australia are currently not required to include content related to animals within the curricula and little is known about the extent to which this content is currently being taught in Australia. The aim of this study was to explore how consideration of human–animal relations has been incorporated into Australian social work programs. Fifteen social work educators were surveyed with three of these participants also undertaking semistructured interviews. The findings revealed that where animal-related content was included it predominantly took an “instrumental” or “anthropocentric” focus related solely to human wellbeing. Exceptions to this focus were found to exist within some ethics and theory units under topics such as “green social work”. Participants report barriers to including such content citing factors related to challenges within the university context and the perceived relative importance of other topics within a crowded social work curriculum. Despite an upsurge in interest in animal-related content reflected in the literature and a broader shift in societal attitudes towards animals, the findings of this small study indicate that Australian social work curriculum currently does not reflect this increasing interest. IMPLICATIONS As a social justice–oriented profession social work has an ethical responsibility to expand its focus to include consideration of human–animal relations within the Australian social work curriculum. There is evidence that inclusion of content related to animals is limited and is often a reflection of the educator’s commitment and passion for the topic rather than curriculum priorities or requirements. Further research is needed to gain a better understanding of the extent to which human–animal relations content is included within Australian social work curriculum and what barriers may exist to its inclusion.

ZELENI SOCIJALNI RAD I EKOLOŠKA SVIJEST IZ PERSPEKTIVE STUDENATA SOCIJALNOG RADA

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

Learning Green Social Work in Global Disaster Contexts: A Case Study Approach

Green social work (GSW) is a nascent framework within the social work field that provides insights regarding social workers’ engagement in disaster settings. Although this framework has recently garnered more attention, it remains under-researched and underdeveloped within the context of social work research, education, and practice in Canada and internationally. To further develop GSW in social work education and professional training, we considered how social work students and practitioners can use a learning framework to understand the impact and build their capacities to serve vulnerable and marginalized populations in diverse disaster settings. To do this, we developed a four-step case study approach, as follows: (1) provide detailed background information on the cases, (2) describe how each case is relevant to social work, (3) discuss how each case informs social work practice from a GSW perspective, and (4) provide recommendations for social work practitioners and students using GSW in future disaster-specific efforts. This case study approach centers on natural, technological, and intentional/willful hazards that examine current GSW research–practice engagement in Canada and internationally. Applying this four-step case study approach to three extreme events in Canada and internationally (a natural hazard, a technological hazard, and an intentional/willful hazard) illustrates it as a potential method for social work students and professionals to build their GSW capacities. This will assist in building the resilience of Canadian and international communities—especially those who have been historically marginalized. This article sheds light on how current social work education and professional training should develop new approaches to incorporate the GSW framework into the social work curriculum at large in order to prepare for future extreme events while incorporating environmental and social justice into research and practice.

Internalization of green social work values in the Climate Village Program in Ujungalang Village Cilacap Regency

The impact of climate change has been a concern for the world, including Indonesia. The government launched a national-scale Climate Village Program in response to such conditions. Researchers explored this program through a study on the internalization of the values of Green Social Work in the Climate Village Program in Ujungalang Village, Cilacap Regency, Central Java Province. The method applied in the exploration was a qualitative method employing a case study approach. The case study was carried out considering that the case in Ujungalang Village was unique. The results showed that the Climate Village Program in Ujungalang Village had internalized the Green Social Work value system, including equality, social inclusion, equitable distribution of resources, and rights-based. The value system developed dynamically to realize sustainable community welfare. In addition, the Climate Village Program also applies the concept of community empowerment (community-based development). These activities are carried out by the community and their institutions, which aim to mobilize and manage human and natural resources within and outside the village and to direct and strengthen adaptation and mitigation efforts to the impacts of climate change.

ADAPTING THE SOCIAL WORK CURRICULUM FOR RELEVANCE IN A SOUTH AFRICAN UNIVERSITY: A COLLABORATIVE AUTOETHNOGRAPHY OF SOCIAL WORK ACADEMICS DURING THE KZN FLOODS

This article adopts collaborative autoethnography in order to critically reflect on the experiences of social work academics who integrated disaster-specific approaches to the social work curriculum of two undergraduate courses in a South African university. This curriculum adaptation was in response to the KwaZulu-Natal floods of 2022. The integration of topics such as green social work and disaster-specific trauma responses at an undergraduate level of social work is advocated. These collaborative autoethnographic accounts contribute important lessons for social work education, practice and research in the era of natural disasters exacerbated by climate change. Keywords: Climate change, collaborative autoethnography, disasters, green social work, KZN flood, social work curriculum

Internalization of green social work on the protection education curriculum and social empowerment in Indonesia

In this new era, the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia through the Bandung Social Welfare Polytechnic developed a Social Protection and Empowerment curriculum that is internalized with Green Social Work in producing social worker practitioners. In the previous curriculum, the non-physical environment was not a special concern in the educational curriculum. This paper discusses the increasingly visible movement to expand social work’s connection to the environment and the calls for greater professional engagement in this area. The researchers aim to explore, using the qualitative method. The key informants and supporters came from educational curriculum developers at the Social Welfare Polytechnic, students, and alumni. The results showed that the Green Social Work education curriculum for undergraduate students of social work had excellent outputs. In addition, through the Green Social Work curriculum, it can respond to and deal with contemporary problems such as handling vulnerable communities to the impacts of climate change and having environmentally friendly professional capabilities. Keywords: Green social work, social empowerment, social Protection, social welfare, policy.

Social Work Students Respond to Greening Social Work Curriculum: “It is Important to See a Change in the Narrative”

ABSTRACT The aim of this article was to present students’ responses to learning about community development and groupwork within the context of the natural world and human communities under threat, sometimes referred to as “greening the curriculum”. Students’ perceptions of such greening initiatives are currently underrepresented in the literature. The community development and group work unit under study was part of an Australian qualifying Masters of Social Work program. Students’ perceptions of greening the curriculum were examined using a case study methodology, with quantitative and qualitative data collected. Their responses provided insight into efficacy of the Unit. Results indicated that students’ awareness of the connections between social work, the natural environment, and ecological justice increased, and their confidence to carry this connection forward into their social work practice was strengthened. These results illustrate how students with no prior, or little, interest in “green social work” can achieve deep, meaningful, and even transformative progress towards ecological social work practice. IMPLICATIONS Embedding ecological justice content into community development and group work curriculum can provide a holistic context for learning. The inclusion of ecological justice in social work curricula can be transformative for students and future social work practice. The student “voice” adds to the growing impetus of ecological justice in social work curriculum.

The Contribution of Green Social Workers in Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change in Indonesia

Climate change is part of natural disasters accompanied by the process of environmental degradation and harms human life holistically. The impact of climate change has become a serious problem experienced by various society levels, without any exception. Numerous scientific studies explain that climate change triggers various environmental changes that threaten the survival and welfare of society. Climate change adaptation and mitigation become the preventive and repressive strategies for controlling climate change. A continously developed programis the Climate Village Program (Proklim). The main basis of the program is community empowerment to be able to run sustainably. The present research focused on the study of roles, referring to the theory of Green Social Work by Lena Dominelli. The data were analyzed descriptively regarding the role of Green Social Workers concerning the suitability between the theory and practice. The application of the qualitative approach employed in this research was in the form of a case study. The researchers decided to employ the case study method because the what was investigated in this study was considered unique regarding the role of Green Social Workers in the Climate Village Program, which has been developed and implemented by the government. The roles of Green Social Workers were, first, helping to analyze and solve problems and respond to opportunities and challenges faced by farmers in managing their businesses; second, facilitating the learning process of farmers or Forest Farmer Group (KTH) in implementing good and sustainable business governance; third, assisting farmers, Forest Farmer Group (KTH), or community groups in developing institutions to be competitive and productive; fourth, improving the leadership, managerial, and entrepreneurial skills of farmers, Forest Farmer Group (KTH), or community groups;fifth, ensuring farmers' access to information, technology, and other resources in business development, and assisting as well as supervising farmers in improving production and productivity; sixth, being a safeguard of state assets in the form of forests, inviting the community to know, want, and participate in maintaining and protecting forest resources from various forest; seventh, encouraging the community to sustainably adapt and mitigate climate change; eighth, initiating the establishment of the Climate Village Program. Green Social Workers were indispensable in community empowerment, especially in encouraging environmental improvement to remain sustainable for the community's prosperity.

Adaptability, Interdisciplinarity, Engageability: Critical Reflections on Green Social Work Teaching and Training.

The upward tendencies of global climate change, disasters, and other diverse crises have been urgently calling for green social work (GSW) interventions which engage a holistic approach to explore diverse societal dimensions’ compounded influences on inhabitants’ individual and collective health and well-being in disaster settings. Though globally gaining more attention, GSW has been slow to develop in the Canadian social work curriculum and professional training. This deficit jeopardizes integrating environmental and climate justice and sustainability in social work research and practice in Canada. In response to this pedagogical inadequacy, this article employs a critical reflection approach to examine two authors’ two-academic-year teaching–learning and supervision-training experiences of GSW-specific in-class and field education in a Master of Social Work program. The content analysis illustrates three essential components for GSW-specific teaching and training, namely adaptability, interdisciplinarity, and engageability. These components enhance the prospective social workers’ micro-, mezzo-, and macro-level practices to better support individuals, families, and communities affected by extreme events and promote their health and well-being in disaster and non-disaster scenarios. These GSW-specific pedagogies shed light on the fact that integrading climate change, disasters, and diverse crises in pedagogical innovations should be encouraged beyond the social work profession. A multidisciplinary multi-stakeholder engagement approach would comprehensively investigate and evaluate the essential components and evidence-based strategies that better serve inhabitants and promote resilience and sustainability.