Social Work Students’ Perceptions of Eco-Social Work in the Curriculum

ABSTRACT Despite the growing number of publications focusing on eco-social work, there remains a lack of eco-social work approaches taught in social work degree programs. Social workers are often at the forefront of responding to the needs of communities post natural disasters, and it has become apparent that the natural environment is increasingly a major influence on social work practice. However, the apparent dearth of eco-social work content in social work education leaves practitioners uncertain about how they might respond to environmental issues. This study explored social work students’ perceptions of eco-social work, the extent to which they felt prepared to respond to environmental issues, their desire to learn more about eco-social work, and where they felt those lessons might fit within their degree. This research contributes to a growing body of literature by arguing that to adequately prepare social workers to practice in a world increasingly impacted by environmental changes, eco-social work must be embedded in the coursework of Australian social work degrees. IMPLICATIONS Social work students understand environmental issues as a key factor influencing the individuals and communities they work with. For social workers to address environmental injustice, they need to learn about eco-social work practice approaches. Social work educators need to include eco-social work approaches in their curricula.