Environmental Social Work

This book provides an introduction to environmental social work, which is a field that has been slow to engage with the environmental movement. The book discusses the importance of the environment, as well as the impact of climate change, a string of natural disasters, and increased understanding of issues around environmental justice. The book divides the field into three parts, with the first part discussing theory, the second part discussing case studies, and the third part discussing learning about environmental issues in social work. This book will be a useful resource for social workers who want to make changes to their work, education, and theory, as they more fully incorporate the environment into their practice.

Social work has been late to engage with the environmental movement. Often working with an exclusively social understanding of environment, much of the social work profession has overlooked the importance of environmental issues. However, recently, the impact of and worldwide attention to climate change, a string of natural disasters, and increased understanding of issues around environmental justice has put the environment, sustainability, and well-being in the spotlight. Divided into three parts, this field-defining work explores what environmental social work is, and how it can be put into practice. The first section focuses on theory, discussing ecological and social justice, as well as sustainability, spirituality and human rights. The second section comprises case studies of evolving environmental social work practice. The case studies derive from a range of areas from urban gardens and community organizing to practice with those affected by climate change. The final section - relevant to students and lecturers - looks at learning about environmental issues in social work. Environmental Social Work provides an integrated theoretical and practical overview of why and how social work might respond to environmental factors affecting the societies and people they work with at international, national, local and individual levels. Review: This new and timely book offers a very comprehensive, useful and inspiring introduction to encourage social workers in a range of fields to engage with the ecological environment. The editors have brought together a valuable collection of chapters providing an excellent introduction to how the environment might be incorporated further into social work theory, practice and education... This book will be a useful resource for those practitioners seeking to make changes to their work, education and theory, as they more fully incorporate the environment into their practice. - Uschi Bay, Social Work Education: The International Journal