Reference no: EM133410864

Environmentalism and Social Work

Social workers recognize that in daily interactions, people influence their environments and are in turn influenced by them. However, only
recently has the social work profession considered the implications of the unhealthful and depleted environment we all share. The social
work profession, including the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), has not
always extended that ecological outlook to the human relationship with the natural world (Besthorn & Saleebey, 2003, p. 12).

This neglect of the natural world by the social work profession and its national organizations is no longer acceptable. Social workers know the environmental context is a prime determinant for quality of life. Consequently, the environmental issues of the natural world
must become part of social workers' concerns. They are becoming environmentalists. Like social work's efforts toward social justice, environmental social work highlights the inequalities and inequities experienced by the most economically disadvantaged and most marginalized populations. The contemporary world presents social workers with challenges. From difficulties associated with the violation of human rights to the need for social justice and citizen participation, there is mounting pressure for the social work profession to expand its framework of
practice. Interventions and theoretical perspectives are needed that address natural, human-influenced, and global environmental changes
such as pollution and climate change. Social workers are positioned to act collaboratively with groups committed to environmental causes
to recognize the connection between nature's life forces and people."