Addressing environmental justice: Virtue ethics, social work, and social welfare

Abstract

Global environmental concerns are fundamental to the human condition and consequently to the social work profession. These complex issues require “big thinking.” In this article, we use virtue theory and two major social work contributions in order to grapple with understanding and addressing environmental justice. Key virtues of compassion, solidarity, and justice in social work are especially effective as an underpinning of social work interventions at community and policy levels. To further develop this work, the article focuses on: (i) identifying environmental justice as a social work concern; (ii) describing the virtues and ethical frame of compassion, solidarity, and justice; (iii) applying this frame using the Grand Challenge of the changing environment and the Global Agenda For Social Work And Social Development report; and (iv) identifying the role of religious partners in this work. To effectively engage in environmental justice, social work requires broad conceptual thinking, strong ethical frames, and enhanced cooperative networks.

Imagining the ecosocial within social work

“…Among the empirical articles, several topics are discussed: the first and second empirical texts address opposition against mining and fracking on community level in the USA (Kvam & Willett, 2019; Powell et al, 2019), while the third and fourth articles regard environmental issues and injustices with respect to vulnerable and marginalised communities in the USA (Kang et al, 2019; Willett et al, 2020). Moreover, the fifth empirical article concerns environmental justice from a virtue perspective (Garlington & Collins, 2021); the sixth considers the ecosocial consequences of overfishing for Senegalese fishing communities (Jönsson, 2019); the seventh treats social exclusion in European cities (Matthies et al, 2000); the eighth empirical article regards the impacts of ‘cleaning and greening’ initiatives in Baltimore (USA) (Mattocks et al, 2019); the ninth departs from a youth summit in Chicago (USA) and discusses ecosocial work in relation to adolescents (Schusler et al, 2019); while the tenth and last empirical article addresses preventive ecosocial work through case studies in the USA (Teixeira et al, 2019).…”

“…The ecological is only interesting due to its effects on humans. For instance, the authors commence the article by stating that ‘the social work profession is oriented toward addressing the human condition, and hence, the evolving global climate crisis is necessarily within our scope of responsibility’ (2021, p. 353). Once again, the ecological is perceived as an instrument for achieving social ends.…”

Intervención social en desastres socionaturales: análisis desde estudiantes de trabajo social de Coquimbo y Atacama en Chile y los desafíos para la eco-formación disciplinar

“…Algunos artículos científicos recientes, presentan evidencias de intervenciones y hallazgos de investigaciones. Abordan temas como justicia ambiental e implicancias para la práctica del TS en su dimensión ética y de bienestar (Garlington & Collins, 2021), las injusticias ambientales y su implicancias para el TS (Rambaree, et al, 2022), salud en personas adultas mayores, desastres naturales y voluntariado ambiental (Hsiao et al, 2019); organización de servicios sociales en situaciones de desastres (Cohen et al, 2019;Maglajlic, 2018); resiliencia ante desastres en contexto de desastres urbanos (Zhang et al, 2019); efectos de los desastres en las personas y el papel técnico y ético del trabajo social en procesos de gestión e intervención en desastres, emergencias o amenazas (Mhlanga et al, 2019, Nuttman-Shwartz & Sternberg, 2016; experiencia de cuidadores familiares de personas con Alzheimer y demencia frente a un desastre (Gibson et al, 2018); preparación de poblaciones en situación de riesgo social frente a desastres y las intersecciones entre las desventajas geográficas y sociales (Howard et al, 2018); justicia y salud ambiental como respuesta al cambio climático en el Caribe (Hayward, 2018); afrontamiento y estrés postraumático en estudiantes de trabajo social luego de los huracanes Katrina y Rita (Prost et al, 2018); desafíos de la intervención social y la comunidad sorda frente a desastres en Japón (Takayama, 2017); adolescentes que sobreviven a desastres y el estigma como barrera a la participación en servicios de salud mental (Kranke et al, 2016); descolonizar las prácticas del TS en caso de desastres y la relevancia de la acción comunitaria (Pyles, 2016). Se trata de debates científicos que van en la línea de los que plantea Maglajlic (2018), respecto de las características de los estudios científicos de TS en DSN, esto es: 1) estudios cualitativos a pequeña escala y específicos de un solo desastre, 2) se centran en prácticas, a nivel micro y en entornos particulares, 3) Abordan tres temas clave: el contexto de las intervenciones de trabajo social durante y después de un DSN, buenas prácticas organizativas frente y el papel del TS durante y post desastre.…”

Animal Ethics, Animal Welfare, and Speciesism: Considerations for Social Work

“…Human exploitation, degradation, and mismanagement of the natural world has led to worsening drought, floods, food crises, pollution, eco-system collapse, and disease development, including zoonotic (i.e., animal to human) diseases, such as COVID-19 (Fraser et al, 2021;Decker Sparks et al, 2019;Matsuoka & Sorenson, 2013;Hanrahan, 2011;Heinsch, 2011;Coates, 2003;Wolf, 2000). There is an intrinsic, direct relationship between the health of the planet and human society at large (Garlington & Collins, 2020;Almiron & Tafalla, 2019;Hudson, 2019;Shaly, 2019;Risley-Curtiss, 2013;Gray & Coates, 2012;Heinsch, 2011;Coates, 2003). Social work has finally begun to acknowledge this relationship and this has resulted in some limited changes in education and practice, such as the relatively recent development of "environmental social work" (Kati & Aila-Leena, 2018;Szucs, Geers, Jezierski, et al, 2012;Heinsch, 2011;Coates, 2003;McMain Park, 1996).…”