Catherine Forde

Teaching and Learning in Ecosocial Work

This book aims to champion teaching and learning of ecosocial work in educational institutions which offer social work and related programmes. It is the first book to focus specifically on teaching and learning in ecosocial work and one of the first to incorporate student perspectives on and initiatives in ecosocial work teaching, learning and practice. Ecosocial work is an evolving framework to learn about and practice social work from the premise that humans are part of the web of life on Earth. While this understanding should guide human activities, current planetary-scale anthropogenic socio-environmental problems such as the climate crisis, ocean acidification, biodiversity and species loss, prove the opposite. Social work and allied professions stem from the same anthropocentric world view and need to reconfigure their relationship to other-than-humans and the planetary limits of existence. This requires in-depth renewal of social work and related professions and an ecosocial/ecological paradigm change in which education is pivotal. Written by academics, students and practitioners working in different parts of the world and offering interdisciplinary perspectives, the book provides: Chapters and case studies on concepts, methods, and experiences of teaching and learning in ecosocial work. Discussion of the current terrain of ecosocial work in principle and practice. Ideas on the kinds of new thinking ecosocial work requires and on how these can be taught and practiced, promoting economic, social and environmental sustainability. This book makes an original and internationally acclaimed contribution to ecosocial work education. As the conduit for preparing social workers to become active agents of ecosocial change, critical attention is given to the importance of education as foundational to this professional endeavour. This book provides essential reading for all social work professionals, scholars, educators, and learning institutions. Heather Boetto, Associate Professor, Charles Stuart University, Australia. A comprehensive book about the challenges and opportunities of teaching the ecosocial framework in social work. Various perspectives open up new possibilities for understanding the practices of teaching ecosocial work in different contexts. A strong reading recommendation for anyone interested in understanding and teaching the relationship between social work and environmental issues. Kati Närhi, Professor, University of Jyväskylä, Finland.