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Historical trends in calls to action : Climate change, pro-environmental behaviours and green social work

Kennedy, Erin LU (2018) p.409-419
Abstract

Social works’ relationship with the environment and the role of social workers in addressing environmental issues under climate change are usually neglected in mainstream practice. I begin this chapter by discussing the importance of social work as a field of research and practice that needs to actively carve out a position of expertise and engagement with emerging environmental issues at the micro-, meso- and macro-levels of society and government. I consider the profession’s past, taking a historical account of social work’s relationship with the environment and the roles that social work has held in addressing environmental concerns by referring to one of its founders in the US, Jane Addams, and her work as ‘Garbage Inspector’ at... (More)

Social works’ relationship with the environment and the role of social workers in addressing environmental issues under climate change are usually neglected in mainstream practice. I begin this chapter by discussing the importance of social work as a field of research and practice that needs to actively carve out a position of expertise and engagement with emerging environmental issues at the micro-, meso- and macro-levels of society and government. I consider the profession’s past, taking a historical account of social work’s relationship with the environment and the roles that social work has held in addressing environmental concerns by referring to one of its founders in the US, Jane Addams, and her work as ‘Garbage Inspector’ at Hull House. I then map and discuss three main environmental frameworks that have emerged within social work: ecological, eco-social and green social work. I identify three parallel themes that run through social work in addressing environmental issues: a technical approach, philosophical idealism and political economy. In considering the role of social work in engaging with environmental issues I discuss the need to understand political economy as an example of what is currently missing in social work research, education and practice. I conclude this chapter with a discussion on how social work can ensure its relevance to the future.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
The Routledge Handbook of Green Social Work
pages
11 pages
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:85050566258
ISBN
9781351727471
9781138740792
DOI
10.4324/9781315183213
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5e63661e-20be-40ad-8b86-ec70090d3c3e
date added to LUP
2018-09-24 14:55:32
date last changed
2024-04-15 11:54:42
@inbook{5e63661e-20be-40ad-8b86-ec70090d3c3e,
  abstract     = {{<p>Social works’ relationship with the environment and the role of social workers in addressing environmental issues under climate change are usually neglected in mainstream practice. I begin this chapter by discussing the importance of social work as a field of research and practice that needs to actively carve out a position of expertise and engagement with emerging environmental issues at the micro-, meso- and macro-levels of society and government. I consider the profession’s past, taking a historical account of social work’s relationship with the environment and the roles that social work has held in addressing environmental concerns by referring to one of its founders in the US, Jane Addams, and her work as ‘Garbage Inspector’ at Hull House. I then map and discuss three main environmental frameworks that have emerged within social work: ecological, eco-social and green social work. I identify three parallel themes that run through social work in addressing environmental issues: a technical approach, philosophical idealism and political economy. In considering the role of social work in engaging with environmental issues I discuss the need to understand political economy as an example of what is currently missing in social work research, education and practice. I conclude this chapter with a discussion on how social work can ensure its relevance to the future.</p>}},
  author       = {{Kennedy, Erin}},
  booktitle    = {{The Routledge Handbook of Green Social Work}},
  isbn         = {{9781351727471}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{409--419}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  title        = {{Historical trends in calls to action : Climate change, pro-environmental behaviours and green social work}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315183213}},
  doi          = {{10.4324/9781315183213}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}