Suchergebnisse

The United States is a society diverse in culture, race, ethnicity, religion, and income; one struggling with a past involving oppression, inequality, and buried knowledge. In order to heal and strengthen, we must educate ourselves about the many strands of our history; grow to appreciate and enjoy the multiple cultures, races, and realities; and recognize the consequences of current and historical oppression. Social work professionals can and should play a lead role. Social work educators can provide leadership in developing learning opportunities with parallel foci on the history and impact of oppression, and the strength and joy of diversity. After a review of the issues, a model is presented for guiding/facilitating this early learning.

Academic institutions as community members, creators of knowledge, and educators of current and future citizens and practitioners have the potential to play a significant role in establishing sustainable environments. This article examines the role of community as the learning context for colleges and universities and as co-creators for complex change processes. Collaborative educational models are presented that link environmental sustainability to community engagement and the enhancement of social and economic justice. Through interdisciplinary, community-based education students gain an awareness of and learn to make an investment in sustainable communities. As teams of students work in the local community, they are meaningfully involved with the community, each other, and the environment. Examples of collaborations designed to engage in interactive learning and development are outlined. Research from the areas of social work, environmental science, social justice, and social entrepreneurship are used to support this curricular approach.

Child poverty negatively impacts the development of children; family homelessness compounds the issues. Both have dramatically increased over the last two decades with far-reaching, poorly understood consequences. The impact of the instability of poverty and homelessness on children is often hidden or difficult to comprehend. Few studies critically examine the impact on a child's sense of safety and security. Using mixed method inquiry, this research sought to examine the effects of poverty and homelessness on children 8 to 12 years of age. The voices of the children illuminate the underlying strengths and vulnerabilities. Results indicate that homelessness leaves children feeling a decreased sense of support and an increased sense of isolation.

Schmitz CL, Matyók T, James C, Sloan LM. The relationship between social work and environmental sustainability: Implications for interdisciplinary practiceThe Brundtland Commission, formally the World Commission on Environment and Development, established by the United Nations in 1983, links peace, security, development and the environment claiming that war, poverty and structural violence result in the oppression and degradation of the human community as well as the physical environment. Likewise, human rights and social and environmental justice are intertwined, and social work, as a profession that collaborates across disciplines and within communities, is uniquely situated to provide leadership in the field of environmental studies. Its strong focus on human rights, social justice and community building creates a sound base from which to engage in the collaborative, creative, interactional processes required for environmental practice. This article seeks to discern a model for environmental social work within the context of interdisciplinary practice with peace and conflict workers and through the integration of inclusive models of economic development.

Chapter 1. Climate Change, Ecology, and Justice -- Chapter 2. Water, Air, and Land: The Foundation of Life, Food, and Society -- Chapter 3. Celebrating and Preserving the Ecology of Life -- Chapter 4. Environmental Injustice: Transformative Change Towards Justice -- Chapter 5. Human Health and Well-Being in Times of Global Environmental Crisis -- Chapter 6. Power and Politics: Protection, Rebuilding, and Justice -- Chapter 7. Pathways to Change: Community and Environmental Transformation -- Chapter 8. Decolonizing Nature: The Potential of Nature to Heal.