Social Work Research and Global Environmental Change

Environmental social work in the disciplinary literature, 1991–2015

“…In contrast, our broad approach included cases in which scholars inquired about topics related to the environment – for example, examining interventions with animals or wilderness, the impacts of natural disasters, or food insecurity – even when they did not align their work with a specific theoretical or ethical paradigm. Like our study, Mason et al (2017) utilized a broad approach and found that only about half of the studies in her sample (53.6%) explicitly framed their contribution as informing global environmental change. Consequently, it is probable that those who see a lack of empirical scholarship in environmental social work are not picking up on scholarship that takes up ‘environment’ not as a paradigm but as a topic of research.…”

“…In contrast, Mason et al (2017) conducted a scoping review of empirically based social work literature published between 1985 and 2015. The Mason team used a broad search strategy in which relevant articles could explicitly examine a global environmental change topic (such as ecosocial work in the Molyneux article or environmental sustainability in the Bexell et al article) or could implicitly address climate change, meaning that it examines a relevant topic yet the author does not frame their contribution in this way.…”

Integrating youth participation and ecosocial work: New possibilities to advance environmental and social justice

“…In this way, ecosocial work can be understood as a form of anti-oppressive social work (Dominelli, 2002) that also is consistent with the values and principles of the environmental justice movement (Bryant, 1995;Bullard, 1996) and critical youth empowerment (Jennings et al, 2006). Although social work research has examined interventions that can mitigate harm caused by environmental crises and natural disasters (Krings, Victor, Mathias, & Perron, 2018b;Mason, Shires, Arwood, & Borst, 2017), additional research is needed to develop methods that proactively engage people in critical reflection and action relating to their self-determination, health, and natural and built environments. In particular, youth of color living in communities with high levels of poverty, who are disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards (Evans, 2004), merit a seat at decision making tables relating to their communities.…”

The future of environmental social work: Looking to community initiatives for models of prevention

“…Similarly, there is a danger that researchers will only partner with community groups in response to visible health impacts as opposed to slow-onset disasters that are less visible. This reactive approach has been common within environmental social work interventions Mason, Shires, Arwood, & Borst, 2017). Community practitioners are thus positioned to extend the use and efficacy of street science by assisting civic groups in locating and developing on-going relationships with academic partners.…”