Responding to the Ecological Crisis: Transformative Pathways for Social Work Education

RESPONDING TO THE ECOLOGICAL CRISIS: TRANSFORMATIVE PATHWAYS FOR SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION

Peter Jones James Cook University

The nature and extent of the current ecological crisis raises the question: Does social work have a contribution to make in addressing the social and environ - mental changes required if we are to move toward a sustainable future? Given the links between the traditional concerns of social work and the emerging con - cerns of environmental and ecological justice, there is a strong argument to be made for expanding the ecological orientation of social work to include the nonhuman world. Transformative learning theory provides a model for how such a shift might be facilitated within social work education, emphasizing a focus on reflection, dialogue, and action.

over The lasT DecaDe , and more dramatically a crisis and we are the cause. Many recent in the last few years, increasing evidence of reports also make the point that environmen - major problems in the earth’s ecological bal - tal problems inequitably affect the world’s ance, particularly relating to the issue of global poorest and operate to further prevent many warming, has resulted in a dramatic in crease in people from moving from poverty into more concern about ecological issues. In the face of sustainable lifestyles (United Nations envi - the overwhelming evidence of climate change, ron ment Programme, 2007). The prominence it is difficult to argue that humans are having of environmental issues in recent domestic no impact, or only a benign impact, on the nat - political debate in the United King dom, the ural world. It is widely and generally agreed United states, and australia makes it i ncreas - that humans have reached population levels ingly clear that the issue of the environment and technological capacities that mean we are will continue to move from the periphery of capable of destroying the fragile ecosystem economic and social policy to being one of the that sustains us. core issues, if not the core issue. such a conclu - The fundamental conclusion drawn by sion recognizes the centrality of the environ - much of the emerging evidence is that there is ment and the ways in which all aspects of

Journal of Social Work Education, Vol. 46, No. 1 (Winter 2010). Copyright © 2010, Council on Social Work Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 67 68 JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION human life are related back to the state of the The opportunity is to do exactly this, in a way global ecosystem. This acknowledgment also that builds on social work’s existing founda - clearly links issues of global social justice with tions, and in doing so place the profession in a issues of the environment. position to make significant and meaningful Given this level of recognition, it is an contributions to the creation of an ecologically interesting and important exercise to think sustainable future. about social work’s role in understanding and Social Work, Modernity, responding to the global ecological crisis, and and the Environment to assess the ways in which the profession might build on existing theoretical and prac - Despite the increasing and urgent evidence of tice foundations to make a contribution to the ways in which the ecological crisis is facilitating the social, economic, and political impacting human well- being, and the obvious transformations that will be required to move connections among the concerns of environ - the planet toward a sustainable future. on a mental, ecological, and social justice, social philosophical level, this will require a para - work has generally been reluctant to claim, or digmatic shift in the way social work as a pro - even explore, a role in the task of addressing fession understands its role and purpose as this crisis and finding ways to move forward. well as its conceptualization of the relation - a review of the major social work journals ship between people and the nonhuman reveals a paucity of literature linking the pro - world. fession and the natural environment, and on a practical level, this philosophical although social work programs may include a shift will need to be facilitated by a pedagogi - consideration of environmentalism as an ide - cal approach to social work education that is ology or a social movement, there are few capable of challenging existing paradigms, examples of courses devoted specifically to critically evaluating emerging alternatives, linking the social and ecological in theory and and encouraging action grounded in new practice. ways of understanding the world. Transform- Yet a concern with people’s environment ative approaches to social work education has been described as one of the distinguish - may help us to move toward the necessary ing features of the social work profession, and goal of equipping students with an expanded it was in the very earliest efforts at organized ecological consciousness and a clear sense of welfare that this became evident (Besthorn & the interdependence of social and environ - McMillen, 2002; coates, 2003). This concern is mental issues. often referred to as social work’s “person- in- In this way, the ecological crisis presents environment” perspective. While social work both a challenge and an opportunity for social was distracted from this emphasis in the mid work. The challenge is to respond to an 20th century by the emerging dominance of emerging dynamic, when that response may psychoanalytic models and the resulting focus very well involve a fundamental reassessment on individualized approaches, a clear tradi - of the values that underpin the profession. tion of contextually oriented practice contin - RESPONDING TO THE ECOLOGICAL CRISIS 69 ue d throughout this time. This orientation was used in social work, they do not always, or strengthened by the development of general even usually, refer to the same things that are systems theory (GsT), a model for ex plaining meant when those terms are used in the natu - the nature of organization in the natural world, ral sciences. Instead, many of the original and the influence that GsT had in many broad - ideas that were generated from observing and er fields, including social work (see, e.g., understanding the relationships and levels of hearn, 1969; Pincus & Minahan, 1973). More interdependence in the natural world have recently, the emergence of “ecological” and been extracted and refined so that they can be “life” models within the social work profession applied to human beings in their social set - has reemphasized the person- in- environment tings. During this process, the relationship perspective (Germain, 1979; Ger main & Git ter- between humans and the natural environ - man, 1980). ment has, to a large extent, been ignored or The existence and acceptance of these the - excluded from the ongoing development of oretical approaches within the profession is a ecological or person- in- environment models significant factor when considering the need in social work (Besthorn & McMillen, 2002; to develop an expanded ecological approach. coates, 2003). Instead, a conceptualization of The notion that the well- being of individuals, “environment” has been developed that is communities, and societies is clearly linked to almost exclusively limited to a person’s social the broader environment in which they are sit - environment, that is, a person’s relationships uated is already fundamental to most ap - with other individuals, groups, communities, proaches to social work theory and practice and organizations. (Narhi & Matthies, 2001). The work of Ger - In examining why social work has negat - main (1979) and Germain and Gitterman ed the importance of the natural world, a com - (1980), for example, makes explicit the impor - pelling analysis emerges of the relationship tance of context and draws our attention to between the development of the profession the interactions between people and their and the characteristics of modernity (coates, environments in ways that clearly foreshadow 2003; hoff & Polack, 1993). coates (2003), for the concerns of an expanded ecological example, argues that as a product of moderni - approach. This need to expand and build ty, social work has been shaped by, and to upon existing foundations has been recog - some extent acted as a facilitator of, the beliefs nized by other authors seeking to incorporate and values of modernity, which are themselves new insights into existing models (see, e.g., responsible for fostering a particular attitude hudson, 2000), but the challenge here is to toward the natural world. Flowing from the recognize that given the emerging concerns of broad social movements of the en lightenment, the ecological crisis, these models may no scientific revolution, and renais sance, the longer be adequate, and, therefore, another emergence of modernity represented the shift dimension needs to be addressed. from worldviews focused on fatalism and In this sense, we need to recognize that divine will toward an emphasis on rationality when the terms environment and ecology are and scientific progress. a new set of beliefs 70 JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION came to characterize modern thought, includ - ception of the ecological that is limited and, in ing the ideas that humans are fundamentally many respects, inadequate. different from all other creatures and have This is not to say that approaches that dominion over them, that people control their attempt to account for the natural world and own destinies and can choose their paths in - its relationship to human well- being have dependently, that the world presents unlimited been completely absent from social work. on opportunities for humans, and that progress is the contrary, as far back as 1993 hoff and the solution and need never cease (cat ton & Polack, as well as Berger and Kelly, published Dunlap, 1980) . articles examining the environmental crisis a key dynamic in the development of and its implications for social work (Berger & modernity has been the privileging of dualis - Kelly, 1993; hoff & Polack, 1993). What was tic beliefs that posit a clear distinction be - important about these articles, and others like tween humans and nature, and establish hier - them (see, e.g., Besthorn & McMillen, 2002; archies with humans as the primary species. hillman, 2002; hoff, 1994; Ife, 1997; Marlow & The primacy of the individual, an overreliance van rooyen, 2001; Park, 1996), was the on empiricism and rationality, and a mecha - authors’ argument that there were clear and nistic view of the universe are all aspects of undeniable associations between environ - the beliefs of modernity. callenbach (2005) mental issues and the traditional social issues links these values clearly with the rise of cap - with which social work is generally con - italism and expansionist industrialism, argu - cerned. a number of authors have highlighted ing that these are most clearly embodied in an these connections by drawing attention both uncritical acceptance of the need for continual to broad issues, such as the links between growth. While it is clear that modernist values poverty and environmental problems (rogge and beliefs have underpinned many positive & Darkwa, 1996), and to more specific prob - developments, particularly in areas such as lems, including the exposure of children to health care and communications, it is also chemical contamination (rogge, 1996; rogge now clear that, particularly in relation to the & combes- orme, 2003). essentially, these environment, there have been significant neg - authors argue that the adoption of a broader, ative consequences as well. ecologically oriented model for social work In such an analysis, it can be argued that would create opportunities for the profession the same values and beliefs that underpin to make a valuable and necessary contribution social exploitation and oppression, such as to addressing the ecological crisis. dualism, domination, and reductionism, also at the heart of this small but significant lead to ecological exploitation and destruc - body of literature, and the perspective it rep - tion. For social work, characterized by coates resents, is the idea that eventually the prob - (2003) as a “domesticated” and codependent lems facing the natural environment will profession, the consequence of this relation - begin to have such a clear impact on society ship to the foundations of modernity is a con - that social workers will need to make the RESPONDING TO THE ECOLOGICAL CRISIS 71

environment— physical as well as social— and if we are to grapple in a meaningful way with our relationship to it central to our ongoing the ecological crisis. development of theory and practice. The cur - The nature of this fundamental shift is rent ecological crisis is revealing the false one that moves us away from the anthro - dualism that underpins the environment- pocentric approach that has been a core char - society dichotomy and forcing us to come to acteristic of much social work, toward a more grips with the importance of concepts such as ecocentric worldview. ecocentric philosophies ecological interdependence and interrelated - highlight the fact that humans do not stand ness. For social work as a profession, it also above nature (attfield, 2003; eckersley, 1992). produces an argument for reflecting on the such approaches point out that while techno - ways in which our origins and many of our logical development has greatly increased our underlying assumptions and values are ability to have an impact on global ecological grounded in the beliefs of modernity and for processes, in every real sense we remain sim - recognizing that a new type of thinking, ply a single species in a complex ecological underpinned by different values and beliefs, web, joined in myriad relationships with other is required if we are to have a role in address - species, and with nonliving components and ing the ecological crisis. For social work edu - systems within the ecological whole. We are cation, it challenges us to find models for part of nature, not separate from it. It is our equipping students with the values, knowl - perceived separation from nature, a form of edge, and skills that will be required in this environmental alienation, that lies at the heart endeavor. of the ecological crisis. In this sense, it can be argued that we have lost sight of our place in Directions for Education the natural world and, perhaps most impor - If we accept that social work may, and should, tant, lost the sense of connection, of relation - have a role to play in addressing the ecologi - ship to the other parts of the web. This matters cal crisis, then we are presented with the ques - because if we do not see or understand our tion: What is required for the profession and relationship to something, then it is easy to for social work education if this challenge is to ignore the impact that our actions might have, be taken up? one answer is to simply “add and to not recognize or care about the conse - on” the natural environment as one of the core quences of that impact. issues with which the profession is concerned. For decades now environmental philoso - To some extent, this is already happening, phers and ethicists have grappled with the albeit slowly and with questionable impact, as nature and consequences of anthropocentrism mention of ecological sustainability creeps and the merits and varieties of ecocentric alter - into social work mission statements (see, e.g., natives (see, e.g., Bookchin, 1995; Paavola & de silva, 2006). however, there is a strong case lowe, 2005; stenmark, 2002). It would be a to be made that such an approach will not mistake, however, to think that the importance produce the fundamental shift that is required of environmental philosophy is restrict ed to 72 JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION abstract conceptualizations of our relationship longer be possible because, in the near future, to, and place within, the environment. In fact, all disciplines will need to become focused on the fundamental, ontological assumptions the quest for ecological sustainability. that underpin these belief systems have direct similarly, orr (1992, 1999) advocates for and practical implications in many areas of the importance of having educational systems our lives. The public policies developed by that develop students’ ecological literacy— the governments are shaped by particular ways of idea that we must reclaim and reconnect to thinking about these issues, and these extend our understanding of the natural world. he through areas that have direct relevance for argues that the Western educational model social work, including the nature and orienta - needs to be changed if we are to address the tion of economic, political, legal, health, and ecological crisis. o’sullivan (1999, 2002) has education systems. Indeed, some commenta - also approached the question of learning for tors have argued that if the ecological crisis ecological sustainability by engaging in a far- continues to deepen, such philosophical reaching and visionary articulation of a new debate will be of direct relevance when con - form of education, one he refers to as a sidering the very nature of participatory “transformative- ecozoic education” (1999, p. democracy and authoritarianism (Dobson, 6). It is an educational vision that is profound - 2007; low & Gleeson, 2001). consideration of ly holistic and integral. he argues that the fea - this dimension alone— the links among ecolo - tures of such an educational approach will gy, public policy, and democracy— should include an orientation to knowledge that is alert the profession to the need for an expan - synthetic and holistic; that is time develop - sion of existing ecological approaches, and a mental in nature; and that includes “earth deeper concern and engagement with issues education,” which, according to o’sullivan, of the natural environment. means “not education about the earth, but the although within some areas of higher earth as the immediate self- educating com - education there is a growing perception of the munity of those living and nonliving beings need for such an expanded ecological knowl - that constitute the earth” (1999, p. 76). edge and awareness (see, e.g., Moody & Building on similar arguments, but with a hartel, 2007; shephard, 2008), there is as yet specifically social work focus, Besthorn (2008) little evidence of such a shift within social calls for an ecological revolution in social work work. Yet outside of the profession there are education. he argues that if the profession is to some strong arguments as to what is actually meet the challenge of the current crisis, then required, particularly in relation to the role social work needs to move toward a deep- that higher education must play. capra (2002), ecological consciousness. Besthorn describes for example, has described the process of in - such a consciousness as converging along creasing academic specialization and noted three dimensions: environmental aware ness, the way in which this has served to alienate spiritual sensitivity, and political activism. the social sciences from “the world of matter” each of these dimensions is clearly interrelated (p. xix). he argues that such a division will no with the others. however, it is perhaps the first RESPONDING TO THE ECOLOGICAL CRISIS 73 of these, the development of environmental discussion and debate about the nature of awareness, or ecological literacy, where social adult learning and of its relationship to per - work education has the greatest potential to sonal and social change (Dirkx, 2006; Marsick build upon existing approaches, both theoreti - & Mezirow, 2002). at its heart, transformative cal and practical, and make a significant shift learning theory is about the nature of change, toward a more fully ecological orientation. about the processes through which we pro - duce a shift in the way we see and make A Way Forward: Transformative meaning of the world. Mezirow, one of the Learning in Social Work leading proponents of this theoretical orienta - as social work educators, if we accept the tion, describes transformative learning as need for a new paradigm in social work theo - “learning that transforms problematic frames ry and practice, one that is capable of encom - of reference— sets of fixed assumptions and passing ecological considerations, then we expectations (habits of mind, meaning per - must turn our attention to the impact of this spectives, mindsets)—to make them more idea on the theory and practice of social work inclusive, discriminating, open, reflective, and education. Based on the arguments I have pre - emotionally able to change” (2003, pp. 58–59). sented, what is required is an educational central to this theory is the concept of approach that not only facilitates critical structures of meaning— the frames of refer - reflection on the assumptions that underpin ence that we acquire uncritically through the dominant paradigm of modernity but also processes of socialization and acculturation allows such critical reflection to be directed at and that are often distorted as a result of the the ways in which these assumptions have internalization of the dominant sociocultural shaped individual beliefs, values, and behav - assumptions prevailing in our social context. iors. The pedagogical approach should also Transformative learning is said to occur in allow for the introduction and consideration those situations where we become aware of of alternative perspectives and for these to be the inadequacy of these frames of reference tested out in the social world through both (often through an explicit, disorienting experi - discourse and action. Transformative learning ence) and subsequently engage in critical theory, as developed by Jack Mezirow (1990, reflection on their very basis. This critical 1991, 2000, 2003) and others (see, e.g., Brook- reflection may, in turn, lead to the awareness field, 2000; cranton, 2002; Dirkx, 2006; Taylor, of alternative ways of thinking and to testing 2006), provides such an organizing frame - out such alternatives through dialogue and work for social work education, both as an action (Mezirow, 1990, 1991, 2000, 2003). explanatory theory of learning and as a guide The importance placed on reflecting on for educational practice. fundamental assumptions as part of the The concept of transformative learning process of developing and enacting a new has proven to be one of the most generative worldview makes transformative learning the - lines of scholarship in the field of adult learn - ory particularly important when consider ing ing, creating opportunities for wide- ranging the direction social work education may need 74 JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION to move in if we are to develop a new, ecolog - “the process in which we have an active dia - ically oriented approach to theory and prac - logue with others to better understand the tice. Mezirow (2000) has suggested that there meaning of an experience” (Mezirow, 2000, p. are two key types of reflection involved in the 14). In particular, Mezirow is concerned with transformative process: first, critical reflection dialogue devoted to assessing contested beliefs, of assumptions, or objective reframing, which and it is through such discourse that the process involves critically reflecting on the assump - of transformation is promoted, developed, and tions of others; and, second, critical self- enacted. as Taylor (1998) notes, “It is within the reflection of assumptions, or subjective arena of rational discourse that experience and reframing, which involves critical reflection critical reflection are played out. Discourse on one’s own assumptions and in particular becomes the medium for critical reflection to be the ways in which one’s worldview may be put into action” (p. 11). limited and distorted (Taylor, 1998). In pursuit of an expanded ecological con - Both of these forms will be critical to the sciousness, a central task for social work edu - development of an ecologically oriented social cation will be to break through the existing work. encouraging students to critically con - level of ecological alienation and encourage sider the assumptions, values, and beliefs of students to reevaluate their relationship to the modernity, and the ways in which these are nonhuman world. Developing such an aware - implicated in the current ecological crisis, will ness of their connections to the natural world be an essential step in developing a new and of the nature and extent of the ecological worldview. equally important, however, will crisis will, for many students, constitute a dis - be creating the space within which students orienting dilemma— a recognition that our old can reflect on the ways in which the presup - ways of thinking and acting are no longer suf - positions of the dominant paradigm have ficient and that we need to seek out new mod - shaped their personal worldviews and their els and ways of being. critical reflection on own values and beliefs, particularly the way the sociocultural assumptions that have led to in which they see their relationship with the the crisis, and the ways in which we have nonhuman world. internalized these, will lead to a search for The second of the key processes of transfor - alternatives. The paths suggested by writers mative learning relates to the role and impor - such as o’sullivan (2002) and orr (1999), who tance of rational discourse, or, as Mez irow (2003) call for the development of an expanded envi - more recently refers to it, critical- dialectical dis - ronmental awareness and ecological literacy, course. Mezirow’s argument here, building on then need to be considered and assessed, and the work of habermas (1984), is that critical it is through critical- dialectical discourse that reflection on underlying assumptions, such as such assessment may occur. a task for social would lead to perspective transformation, is not work education is therefore to create both a solitary activity; rather, it takes place, at least in awareness of these alternatives and the dia - part, through discourse. Discourse here refers to logical spaces in which students can openly RESPONDING TO THE ECOLOGICAL CRISIS 75 engage in a critical assessment of their merits approaches have been recognized as invalu - and validity. able to social work education (see, e.g., ross, Most transformative learning theorists 2007; rozas, 2004; Tsang, 2007), and there is a agree that such learning can be said to have continuing recognition of the importance of truly occurred only when it produces action experiential learning and praxis (anderson & based on the newly transformed frames of ref - harris, 2005; carey, 2007; Gibbons & Gray, erence. The emphasis on praxis is an important 2002). however, as noted by coates (2003), dimension of this theory when viewed in rela - Besthorn (2008), and others, these approaches tion to the task of developing an ecologically are often put to use in the service of a social oriented social work. Faced with the enormity work whose view of environment and ecolo - of the ecological crisis, social work education gy is narrowly conceived and therefore has must look to pedagogy with an explicit orien - failed to grapple meaningfully with the trans - tation toward change, at both the individual formations required if we are to address the and social levels. For Mezirow, transformative ecological crisis. learning is not necessarily linked directly and Facilitating Ecological inevitably to social change. Perspective trans - Transformation formation may, for instance, relate to epistemic or psychic distortions, and while transforming The challenge for social work educators is to these existing presuppositions will entail tak - integrate transformative learning theory with a ing action in the social world, such action may range of existing methods focused on reflec - relate more to individual behavior than direct, tive, dialogic, and experiential approaches, and collective, social action (Mezirow, 1991). how- to apply this theory and method to the devel - ever, and importantly, Mezirow (2003) argues opment of ecological awareness and literacy that processes of transformative learning help among students. In my own teaching practice, to create the conditions for both individuals this process is often begun with an attempt at and society that are necessary for emancipato - producing a disorienting dilemma— an experi - ry social transformation and engagement in ence that alerts students to the limitations of participative, democratic processes. their existing frames of reference in relation to In many respects a great deal of social the environment. challenging students on the work education already incorporates some nature and extent of their environmental alien - aspects of a transformative approach. critical ation is often a good place to start. responses to reflection, for example, has emerged as a core questions such as “how many native plant component and concern of social work educa - species endemic to our region can you name?”, tion and practice (see, e.g., clare, 2007; Fook & “Who can describe both the location and askeland, 2007; Gould & Taylor, 1996; Napier process of sewage disposal in our communi - & Fook, 2000; osmond & Darlington, 2005; ty?”, and “Where are the boundaries of our redmond, 2005; sheppard, 1998; Yelloly & local catchment area [or bioregion]?” often henkel, 1995; Yip 2006). similarly, dialogical reveal the poor levels of environmental literacy 76 JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION among students. It is then that the question, course, for example, asks students to write an “Wh y don’t we know the answers to these autobiographical piece (as overview, or focus - questions?” should be raised. ing on critical incidents) that illustrates the Getting students out of the classroom set - degree to which the values of modernity have, ting also helps to rattle their existing frame of or have not, impacted their personal relation - reference. In the course I teach on eco- social ship with the nonhuman world (see appendix justice, we often hold classes off campus, vis - B). Based on the experiences of students iting degraded waterways, revegetation proj - involved with these tasks, such critically ects, community gardens, and suburban sub - reflective processes can be very challenging divisions. In all of these settings it is instruc - but are also often rewarding. tive to see students realize how much they do challenging students’ existing beliefs and not know about both the natural world and facilitating reflection on the sources and our impact on it. The depth of this realization impact of those beliefs are important steps in is often apparent in students’ reflections on creating the potential for learning and change. the experience. There is a danger, however, that if the process a wide range of activities can be em ployed stops there students may be “stranded”— to help challenge students’ preconceptions and aware that their existing frames of reference reveal blind spots in their own knowledge and are limited, but unclear as to how they might understanding (for an example, see appendix move forward. creating safe and supportive a). For many, such disorienting experiences are spaces for dialogue and rational discourse enough to open the door to an active and then becomes an essential part of the transfor - enthusiastic engagement in critical reflection mative process. In particular, students need on the assumptions inherent in our society and opportunities to explore and assess the validi - the connection between these assumptions and ty of alternative ways of seeing and being in our own values, beliefs, and experiences. the world. Debates around our place on the Developing forms of assessment that pro - anthropocentric- ecocentric continuum are mote both objective and subjective reframing often useful in this regard, as are visioning is also an essential component of a transfor - exercises that encourage students to imagine mative approach to expanding ecological the possibilities and day- to- day realities of an awareness. In various iterations of the eco- ecologically sustainable society. social justice course mentioned earlier, assess - The transition from abstract concepts to ment has included autophotography, reflec - practical action is also a crucial phase of the tive learning portfolios, and critically reflec - transformative learning process for the pro - tive autobiographies. all of these forms have fession of social work and social work educa - the advantage of being able to incorporate tion. students need to be given opportunities critical engagement with conceptual material, to take action to test out their newly expand - such as a consideration of the foundations of ed frames of reference. various models of modernity, with students’ own lived experi - service learning could be applied here, includ - ence. The most recent form in use in this ing participation in environmental projects as RESPONDING TO THE ECOLOGICAL CRISIS 77 part of course design, but where practical con - ronmental issues. I actually thought of the straints make this difficult other approaches subject as a waste of time in the beginning. may be useful. In my experience, students are Now I am learning more and realise how cru - often simply unaware of the range of possible cial it is for community sustainability.” actions they could take— as individuals and It is hoped that what these small steps collectively, personally and professionally— represent is the beginning of the process that would contribute to the social transfor - whereby social work, building on its existing mations required if we are to address the eco - foundation of a concern for people in their logical crisis. environment, shifts from a thoroughly anthro - Presenting a range of ecoactions, or pocentric, modernist orientation toward an socioenvironmental strategies, at various lev - expanded ecological perspective. If social els of social organization, and providing work is to have a role in addressing the eco - examples of practice and activism grounded logical crisis, this shift will be essential. in an ecological paradigm, give students a Transformative learning provides an example starting point for considering what actions of an educative model that can be used in they themselves can take. This is also an building the foundations of this shift in social important opportunity for educators to model work education, but only if the will to do so is their own eco- oriented practice, providing present. In this sense then, while a transfor - students with powerful examples of the ways mative learning approach will be invaluable in which an ecological orientation may actual - in developing the theoretical and practical ori - ly manifest in the practice of a social worker. entation required for an ecologically oriented considering the possibilities for action often social work education, the fundamental task leads students to test such action in their own is that of first recognizing the urgency and lives and, importantly, in their own practice. validity that underpins this need. although such actions may initially be Conclusion small scale and often individual in nature, this is an important step in testing transformed The ecological crisis represents both a chal - frames of reference and in enacting change in lenge and an opportunity for social work and the social world. Truly transformative learn - social work education. as a profession that ing will also be characterized by persistence, has always been deeply concerned with the so it is encouraging to hear from past students interactions between people and their envi - about the ways in which an ecological orienta - ronments, social work is well placed to build tion has manifested itself in professional prac - on existing theory and practice to develop an tice. For example, describing her work in a expanded ecological approach. such an migrant support program with an environ - approach will allow the profession to better mental focus, a social work graduate recently position itself to respond to the many chal - wrote: “I am writing to tell you all this be - lenges that lie ahead as the ecological crisis cause I never expected in my wildest dreams manifests itself more clearly and urgently, that I would get involved this much into envi - particularly in forms that relate directly to 78 JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION issues of social justice. Given the many exam - Berger, r., & Kelly, J. (1993). social work in the ples of the profession adapting to meet emerg - ecological crisis. Social Work, 38 , 521–526. ing social issues in the past, there is good rea - Besthorn, F. h. (2008, april). 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Accepted: 07/09

Peter Jones is senior lecturer at James Cook University.

Address correspondence to Peter Jones, James Cook University, Department of Social Work and Community Welfare, Douglas, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia; e- mail: [email protected]. 82 JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION

Appendix A. Examples of Exercises Used in Producing Disorienting Dilemmas

Exercise 1: Community Walk Exercise 2: Environmental Site Visit students are taken in groups to walk around a Taking students out of the classroom often neighborhood in a typical suburban subdivi - opens them up to new ways of looking at sion. a recording sheet is provided that asks issues. In this exercise, students are taken in students to observe the neighborhood as an groups to an environmental site that may be example of planning, with particular empha - an example of either a pristine or degraded sis on features that relate to social and ecolog - ecosystem. one of the most successful sites in ical sustainability. The facilitator encourages the author’s experience is a riparian environ - students to voice their observations as the ment that has been the site of a community walk proceeds. often, the students are more rehabilitation and revegetation project. stu - “tuned in” to social rather than environmental dents should be allowed to wander and characteristics. The role of the facilitator is to observe the area for some time before the facil - raise questions that link the social with the itator calls them together and asks them to environmental and that may act to reveal stu - begin thinking about and articulating the dents’ lack of knowledge or awareness of links between this natural environment and environmental issues. examples of such ques - the range of social issues with which social tions may include the following: work might normally be concerned. It is often the case that students struggle • Where does the electricity consumed in to identify links, missing obvious connections this community come from? between issues such as clean water and • Where does the waste from this commu - human health and well- being. The facilitator nity go? can use this opportunity to produce further • Why are the houses in this community “discomfort” by asking students to articulate designed the way they are? how does their knowledge of basic ecological processes, their design relate to the locale/climate? such as carbon and water cycles. While some students may recall aspects of these from high In each of these instances, students may strug - school science classes, many will have forgot - gle to provide the answers. after some discus - ten or possess only partial knowledge of these sion of this situation the facilitator asks the processes and, more important, their signifi - key second- tier question: Why don’t we know cance to human well- being. this information? responses to this question as with exercise 1, the key here is to ask can be used to illustrate the concept of envi - students why we do not have this knowledge ronmental alienation and the ways that our and understanding, and to encourage discus - methods of social organization serve to sepa - sion of the currently dominant values and rate us from key ecological processes such as beliefs in society and how these lead to the the consumption of resources and production privileging of some kinds of knowledge and of waste. information over others. RESPONDING TO THE ECOLOGICAL CRISIS 83

In both of these exercises the facilitator particular reference to the dominant values is drawing attention to areas of knowledge and beliefs of society. The facilitator may ask that students do not possess. The aim is not for volunteers to research answers to some to leave students feeling that they are inade - of the difficult questions that have been quate but, rather, to get them to reflect on asked and for these to be shared at the next this deficit and the explanations for it, with class.

Appendix B. Example of Eco- Social Assessment

Critical, Ecological Autobiography must use the tools of critical reflection to expose and understand the nature of our own This subject (Ws3214: Developmental ap - lived experience and the connection between proaches to eco- social justice) presents an this unique biographical story and the broad - argument that the dominant paradigm of er issues of eco- social justice. thought in Western society, based on the prin - This assignment aims to allow students to ciples and values of modernity, has resulted in construct bridges of understanding between the development of a particular type of rela - abstract conceptual material (such as the con - tionship between humans and the nonhuman cepts of modernity, cosmogenesis, and ecologi - world. The consequences of this relationship cal justice) and their own experience by writing are evident in the ecological crisis that now about their own experience in a critically reflec - confronts the globe. The modernist paradigm tive manner, informed and framed by your has also shaped the nature of social welfare engagement with these concepts and ideas. In theory and practice. a new paradigm, based this sense, this assignment represents an auto - on an expanded ecological awareness, is pro - biographically informed account of students’ posed as a pathway forward, both in a broad understanding of the conceptual material pre - ontological sense and, more particularly, with - sented in the first half of the subject. in the social welfare professions. The subject critical reflection can be conceived of and exposes students to a range of conceptual and defined in a range of ways; however, for the theoretical material that supports this analysis. purpose of this assignment, critical reflection however, if we as individuals, and as can be thought of as involving thinking back future social welfare practitioners, hope to over, then critically commenting on, what has make a contribution to the social transforma - happened in students’ life/experience, using tion suggested by this material, then we must the conceptual material presented in the sub - also become critically conscious of the ways in ject to shape and inform their commentary. which the dominant paradigm has shaped our The idea is that such reflection may lead to own understanding of, and relationship to, new learning and insights, which can then be the nonhuman world. In other words, we used to improve future action and practice. 84 JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION

Task for Students cal experience and conceptual understand - ing for your own social welfare practice. Write a critically reflective account of your own life/experience. The account must as well as submitting the written piece of • focus on the nature of your relationship work, you need to give a brief (10- to 12- with the nonhuman world; minute- maximum) presentation to your tuto - • link your personal experience to a rial group reflecting on your experience of demonstration of your understanding of completing the assignment and highlighting the principles and values of modernity, the most significant connections between your the concept of anthropocentrism, and the lived experience and the subject conceptual nature of the current ecological crisis; material. The timetable for these presentations • discuss the implications of your biographi - will be determined early in the semester.