Eco-Social Work in Australia
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Episodes
Wednesday Jun 02, 2021
Eco-social work: a training institution perspective
Wednesday Jun 02, 2021
Wednesday Jun 02, 2021
GUEST: Dr. Heather Boetto, Senior Lecturer in Social Work and Human Services at Charles Sturt University.
Introduction to this episode:
Green or eco-social work is an exciting and still-evolving body of ideas and practice within the social work mainstream. Within Australia over the last ten years or so a lot of the development of Green or eco-social work theory, and on the ground practice, has emerged from within the social work training institutions. For instance, social work training courses at Charles Sturt, James Cook and Edith Cowan Universities, and some other training institutions, have incorporated eco-social work ideas, skills and methods in the educational content offered to their students.
This episode of the Eco-Social Work in Australia series focusses on the work and ideas of one of the pioneers in that social work academic and training setting, Dr. Heather Boetto, from Charles Sturt University in New South Wales.
Heather worked as a social work practitioner for over 10 years in various fields before embarking on a career in academia. She now teaches in social work, is passionate about supporting students through their studies, and is one of the leading thinkers on eco-social work practice in this country today.
SOME DISCUSSION TALKING POINTS – with approximate time elapsed position in minutes.
Heather’s background and development of interest in eco-social work practice - 1.58
Defining Green or eco-social work (ESW) practice - 4.11
The relevance of ESW practice to social work for climate change action - 6.56
Why should the social work profession be involved with the climate change threat? - 9.26
How can social workers respond to climate change problems in practical terms? - 12.22
Some trends in ESW practice adoption - and some challenges -17.00
The influence that indigenous knowledges can have on ESW- 20.44.
The influences that the COVID-19 pandemic may exert on ESW - 23.01
Heather’s vision for possible eco-social work interventions on climate change and other sustainable development challenges – across the mid to short term future -25.27
Closing remarks and thanks to guest -30.49
RESOURCES AND REFERENCES RELATED TO THE DISCUSSION
Some selected research work by Heather Boetto
Boetto, H. (2017). A transformative eco-social model: Challenging modernist assumptions in social work. British Journal of Social Work, 47(1), 48-67.
Bowles, W., Boetto, H., Jones, P., & McKinnon, J. (2018). Is social work really greening? Exploring the place of sustainability and environment in social work codes of ethics. International Social Work, 61(4), 503-517.
Boetto, H. (2019). Advancing transformative eco-social change: Shifting from modernist to holistic foundations. Australian Social Work, 72(2), 139-151.
Charles Sturt University social work course elective subjects which deal with climate change or sustainability related issues
Bachelor of Social Work https://study.csu.edu.au/courses/humanities-social-sciences/bachelor-social-work
Related subjects: Transforming human services.
Master of Leadership in Human Services (Ecological and Social Change) https://study.csu.edu.au/courses/humanities-social-sciences/master-human-service
Related subjects: Transforming Human Services, Building Sustainable Communities, and Disaster Recovery in Human Services
GUEST AND CONTACT DETAILS:
Guest: Dr. Heather Boetto E: hboetto@csu.edu.au
Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment (HOPE):
T 07 4639 2135 E office@hopeaustralia.org.au WEB FACEBOOK
Production:
Produced for HOPE by Andrew Nicholson E: counsel1983@gmail.com
T: +61 413979414
This episode recorded in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia in February 2021.
Artwork: Daniela Dal'Castel Incidental Music: James Nicholson
Eco Social Work in Australia
This series is dedicated to showcasing the still emerging, ideas, practices and principles of an exciting turn occurring globally and in contemporary mainstream Australian social work practice. This body of work has been variously termed green, environmental or eco-social work (ESW) practice.
One of the defining characteristics of ESW is its strong concern with physical as opposed to wholly social environmental factors as they may influence aspects of client work, from assessment, through planning and on to intervention. Eco-social work practice seeks to understand the interconnected and interdependent physical, social and economic environment influences which shape social work intervention - in order to achieve the most effective client outcomes.