Considering how environmental and global crisis disproportionately impacts the poor and marginalised communities – a social work perspective.

Introduction

100+ words to cover what is in the body of the essay

Drawing on frameworks in Green Social Work, Environmental Social Work, and ecological systems theory, I will discuss how we need to consider all aspects of someone’s ecological system. Considering how poor and marginalised people may be more significantly impacted by crisis.

The work of social work within these crises, touching on COVID19.

How the government and corporations are letting the wider community down.

I will draw on the quotes listed in the plan to discuss my points – most quotes to be paraphrased within the final assessment.

My interest in environmental justice

Topic/Issue 1: What is green social work, environmental social work, and ecological theory? (~160 words)

The history of green social work – noting that this is a new concept.

In the podsocs podcast, Lena Dominelli & Patricia Fronek (2012) discuss what Green Social Work is, and Lena notes that the environment in which people live has been a large part of social work since the profession’s origin with settlement workers, and in western society we are losing sight of this. Lena Dominelli & Patricia Fronek (2012) also discuss that Lena developed the term green social work to encapsulate more than environmental social work (the physical environment), green social work considers “housing, buildings, road structures, communication systems, biosystems, ecosystems, the flora, the fauna of the Earth”.

Where the need for this arm of social work came from:
– Lena Dominelli & Patricia Fronek (2012) discuss that social workers assisted people in finding housing, development of sanitation systems and how we should be more aware of the implications of environmental crisis today
– Neoliberalism, Capitalism and Globalisation needs to be discussed, and how this impacts the poor.

Topic/Issue 2: Environmental Crisis and who it impacts (~160 words)

What communities are most negatively impacted?
– “Aboriginal communities are especially affected as most of their pristine lands have been exploited for their natural resources without due recognition of its impact on their communities and natural environment locally and globally.” (Noble 2016, p. 16)
– “While the immediate impact of climate change is experienced by women, Indigenous peoples, older peoples, and minority race groups, inevitably all will be affected as the limit to growth, overuse of non-renewable resources and environmental degradation is a global problem.” (Noble 2016, p. 16)

We need to ask the question, who benefits from the policies and practices that lead to environmental crisis?
– the elite/the rich
– corporations/large businesses

Discuss covid 19, considering this is the result of a zoonotic disease, this falls under Green Social Work (Dominelli 2021)

Discuss the bush fires

Howard et al. (2018) discusses how socially vulnerable people are less likely to be prepared for disaster.

Topic/Issue 3: Considering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (~160 words)

“For example, agribusinesses forcing traditional farmers off their land, and Indigenous peoples driven from ancestral lands due to mining, crop clearing, toxic spills and pollution of air, water and soil have resulted in what is commonly recognised as environmental racism, ecocide or social injustice towards the people and communities affected by these practices.” (Noble 2016, p. 16)

The traditional owners of the land should be considered and have a large say in how we combat environmental crisis.

Traditional practices that should be considered.

“The incorporation of Australian Aboriginal and Indigenous worldviews is critical for the development of Australian ecosocial work, particularly in relation to holistic and interdependent conceptualisations of the natural world, as well as sustainable strategies that might be applicable to social work and the wider society.” (Boetto et al. 2020, p. 306)

Topic/Issue 4: Government policy and Structural inequities/inequalities (~160 words)

Look into information on policy and structural inequities that may be letting the public down

Social workers push for policy to correct the wrongs

The AASW stance on Climate Change (https://www.aasw.asn.au/social-policy-advocacy/policy-positions/aasws-policy-position-on-climate-change)

Social justice movements and community workers/groups attempting to make change

Topic/Issue 5: Lack of Green or Environmental Social Work Education in the curriculum – how learning this can help. (~160 words)

Though there were limitations in the study, Harris & Bobby (2018) discuss the “overall lack of engagement in Australian social work education with content related to the natural environment”

Jones (2012) discusses similar findings in a review of social work curriculum in Australia – the results seem to be that there a few courses dedicated to this learning area.

Naranjo (2020) discuss how academics need to embrace environmental justice within their social work education practices.

Conclusion

100+ words to cover what has been discussed in the body of the essay