In 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by state nations across the globe to eradicate poverty in all its forms, combat inequality, preserve the planet, create sustainable economic growth and foster social inclusion (United Nations [UN], 2015:5). Social work is committed to contributing to sustainable development by responding to social and economic injustices (Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development, 2012). The goal of this research study was to explore and describe the role of social workers in promoting environmental justice for sustainable communities from a non-government perspective in Tshwane. The researcher adopted a qualitative research approach and an instrumental case study design. The sample of eight participants was purposively selected from non-governmental organisations in Tshwane and data was collected through semi-structured one-on-one interviews. The findings of the study indicate that participants had some understanding of environmental justice and that both people and the natural environment should be equally protected and advocated in social work interventions. Although some current interventions reflect an environmental focus, participants were not consciously aware of their role in environmental justice and sustainable development. The study concluded that social workers understand the challenges that are respectively posed by the social and natural environment but not necessarily how they are intertwined and related to environmental injustices and green social work. Recommendations include education and awareness-raising of social workers on environmental justice and adopting green social work as a practice model. / Mini Dissertation (MSW (Social Development and Policy))--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Social Work and Criminology / MSW (Social Development and Policy) / Unrestricted

abstract: The natural environment is becoming an increasing concern within the global society and within the realm of social work practice. Social work practitioners and scholars are advocating for incorporating environmental justice into social work education, but have yet to adequately develop the research and strategies to execute this task. To further develop the research behind this concept, 112 social work students’ attitudes toward the environment were analyzed using the New Environmental Paradigm Scale and questions regarding the intersection of social work and the natural environment. Analysis of the data found social work students were less pro-environment than populations within previous studies. Although, social work students reported the desire to learn more about environmental issues and felt as though it would help them become better social workers. Results also suggested social work students did not know where to find information on environmental issues and misconstrued information on environmental issues, whether or not they felt informed. It will be imperative to further develop the research on incorporating environmental justice into social work education through future pilot programs with student attitudes and cultures into consideration. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Social Work 2016

In 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by state nations across the globe to eradicate poverty in all its forms, combat inequality, preserve the planet, create sustainable economic growth and foster social inclusion (United Nations, 2015:5). Social work is committed to contributing to sustainable development through the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development (2012). When social workers promote sustainable development, both social and environmental justice are equally important and also interrelated. The goal of the study was to explore and describe the role of social workers in promoting environmental justice to achieve sustainable communities from Non-governmental organisations’ perspective in Tshwane. The researcher used the qualitative research approach. The study was both explorative and descriptive. The study used an instrumental case study design and the type of research was both basic and applied. The research sample of 10 social workers from the Tshwane area was purposively selected, and data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews. The findings derived from the study showed that social workers in practice are aware of the interrelatedness between communities and the physical environment, but that the environment is not always consciously integrated in their interventions. Furthermore, social workers can identify the need for green social work. However, although they are unsure of how to practise green social work, some social workers are already promoting sustainability in their communities, albeit without always realising their involvement with environmental justice. The study concluded that there is a growing awareness amongst social workers of the interrelatedness between social justice and environmental justice and that, in promoting social justice, they should incorporate environmental justice. Furthermore, traditional social work roles could be employed to promote environmental justice and sustainable communities by adopting green social work as theoretical framework (Dominelli, 2012). The study recommends a raised awareness of green social work amongst social workers, interventions with a view to do community-building and present training opportunities for social workers to equip them with the skills to practice green social work through focused interventions. Further research on social work practice is required to shift existing social work practice to integrated social, economic and environmental development that promote sustainable communities. / Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Social Work and Criminology / MSW / Unrestricted

Grönt socialt arbete innebär ett paradigmskifte för professionen som sådan och syftet i föreliggande uppsats var att ta reda på hur socialarbetaren kan arbeta rent praktiskt, inom ramen för grönt socialt arbete. Med sin kritik mot nyliberala strukturer och sätt att främja resiliens hos sårbara och marginaliserade människor sammanfattar denna scoping review 12 artiklar som behandlar grönt socialt arbete. Att socialarbetaren arbetar med djur och växter innebär ett postantropocentriskt glokalt socialt arbete där miljöförändringar i en del av världen även påverkar en annan del av världen. Grönt socialt arbete ifrågasätter nyliberalismen, ser holistiskt på människans livsförutsättningar och motverkar miljömässig ojämlikhet. / Green social work means a paradigm shift for the profession and the aim in the present study is to highlight how the social worker can work in a practical way, within the framework of green social work. With its critique of neoliberal structures and ways of promoting resilience in vulnerable and marginalized people, this scoping review summarizes 12 articles dealing with green social work. That the social worker works with animals and plants means a post-anthropocentric glocal social work where environmental changes in one part of the world also affect another part of the world. Green social work question neoliberalism, take a holistic view of human life conditions and counteract environmental inequality.

The aim of this study was to examine how two integrating social enterprises relate to and combines social, ecological and economic sustainability and how they work with sustainable development in the field of social work. The study has been focusing on three questions: What are the values underpinning “Macken” and “Vägen uts” approach to sustainable development? What motivates these companies to work with ecological sustainability in the creation of new jobs? How do these companies combine social, ecological and economic sustainability? To answer our questions we have been interviewing nine employees through semi-structured interviews combined with observations and this study was analysed through a symbolic perspective. The conclusion of this study showed that these companies worked with specific themes to reach social sustainability. Recurring themes in the study was empowerment, recovery and the employee’s own experience of exclusion. To achieve ecological sustainability the companies worked with recycling furniture and fabric as a way of creating new jobs. They also had ecological cafés and ecological cultivations. Furthermore the economical sustainability was displayed throw the reinvestment of the profit to hire more people to the companies.

Syftet med studien är att med hjälp av en internationellt tillämpad enkät och med utgångspunkt i studenters attityder till klimatförändringar (vid Örebro universitet) undersöka deras klimatoro, inställning till regeringens klimatåtgärder, miljömedvetna handlingar, samt inställning till ekosociala interventioner. Det empiriska material som studien bygger på samlades in genom en webbenkät som undersökte respondenternas tankar och känslor i relation till klimatförändringarna, samt deras inställning till vissa miljömedvetna handlingar och ekosociala interventioner. Den insamlade empirin analyserades sedan mot bakgrund av teorierna kognitiv dissonans, Environmental Locus of Control (ELOC) och grönt socialt arbete. Studiens resultat indikerar en låg grad av kognitiv dissonans bland studenternas tankar och beteenden kopplat till klimatförändringar då majoriteten agerar i enlighet med sina tankar och känslor. Vidare visade det sig att andelen personer med hög grad av miljövänliga beteenden var störst bland de som upplevde hög grad av klimatoro, upplevde intern ELOC och påverkades i hög grad negativt av regeringens klimatåtgärder. Dessutom visade det sig att majoriteten av respondenterna hade en positiv inställning till ekosociala interventioner. / The purpose of the study is to use an internationally applied questionnaire to investigate students' attitudes towards climate change (at Örebro University), their eco-anxiety, attitudes towards government climate action, pro-environmental behaviors, and attitudes towards ecosocial interventions. The empirical material on which the study is based was collected through an online survey that examined the respondents' thoughts and feelings in relation to climate change, as well as their attitudes towards certain environmentally conscious actions and eco-social interventions. The collected empirical data was then analyzed in light of the theories of cognitive dissonance, Environmental Locus of Control (ELOC) and green social work. The study results indicate a low degree of cognitive dissonance among students' thoughts and behaviors related to climate change as the majority act in accordance with their thoughts and feelings. Furthermore, it was found that the proportion of individuals with high levels of pro-environmental behaviors was greatest among those who experienced high levels of climate anxiety, experienced internal ELOC, and were highly negatively affected by government climate action. Moreover, the majority of respondents were found to have a positive attitude towards ecosocial interventions.