Social Work and the Environment

Abstract

As a profession with a long-standing declared focus on person-in-environment, social work might be expected to play a leadership role in interdisciplinary efforts to tackle environmental threats to human well-being and continued existence, yet the profession has generally been silent or less than relevant. This paper explores past and present neglect of the natural environment within mainstream social work. The profession’s longstanding person-in-environment perspective is examined for constraints that inhibit understanding of environmental issues and the development of effective strategies. Alternative understandings of the environment from specializations within the profession and related disciplines are considered. The paper concludes with directions toward new models of practice incorporating a view of people as place that may help us towards a broader mission of learning to live well in place.

Change in the Environmental Concept in Social Work

“…Bu noktada çevre sosyal, kültürel, ekonomik olarak yorumlanmaya başlanmıştır. Bu anlayışın sonucunda sosyal hizmetin amacı insan ve sosyal çevre arasındaki karşılıklı uyumu, dengeyi sağlamak olarak benimsenmiştir (Närhi ve Matthies, 2016;Zapf, 2010).…”

How the environment is conceptualised and represented globally in social work codes of ethics

“…For instance, Rogge and Darkwa (1996), and later Norton (2009), suggested redefining the person-in-environment framework to explicitly include the natural world. However, Besthorn and Canda (2002) and Zapf (2010) noted the person-in-environment framework's inherent limitations when applied to the natural context: the phrase's anthropocentrism and separation of humans from the environment. In contrast, an ecological framework takes a de-centred approach, with humans as part of a holistic interactive ecosystem (Bay, 2015).…”

“…Some argue (e.g. see McKinnon, 2008; Mulvale, 2017; Zapf, 2010) that the physical aspect has not only been marginalised, but sometimes intentionally avoided. As an internationally recognised profession with clear commitments to human welfare and social change (International Federation of Social Workers [IFSW], 2014a), it is timely for social workers to consider our understanding of the environment, including the physical, and its implications for social work practice and future development in a century with multifarious crises challenging human rights and social justice in various contexts.…”

Experiences of Social Workers in Working With Health Care Practitioners: A Multidisciplinary Team Approach

“…Social workers are adept at helping patients meet these sorts of needs, hence, the "person-in-environment" configuration becomes relevant (Whitaker & Clark, 2006). While Zapf (2010) regards the notion of "person-in-environment" to have played a valuable role in social work, he advocates for a slightly different metaphor "people as place". Zapf (2010:40) further suggests that the world needs to be "understood as a process of continuous co-creation involving people and the natural world".…”