Search Results (2)

The increasing demand to leverage mining for economic development poses severe risks to rural communities, especially in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to its negative impacts. This study assesses the processes of mining-induced environmental degradation and displacement through the lens of two villages in Turkey and highlights the need for ecosocial work within these contexts. A qualitative case study design was adopted, involving 18 individuals from both villages who were recruited through snowball sampling. The data, collected through in-depth interviews and participant observation, were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis with the help of MAXQDA 24 software. The findings reveal that mining-related environmental degradation has adversely affected not only the ecosystems of the villages but also their social and economic structures. Moreover, the study identifies the need to address multiple and overlapping challenges experienced by villagers in relation to displacement, including both material and psychosocial difficulties. This research is the first attempt to provide an empirical foundation for ecosocial work interventions at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels in the context of rural, mining-affected communities in Turkey. As such, it offers valuable insights into how ecosocial work can engage with these levels of intervention in rural settings. Full article

The upward tendencies of global climate change, disasters, and other diverse crises have been urgently calling for green social work (GSW) interventions which engage a holistic approach to explore diverse societal dimensions’ compounded influences on inhabitants’ individual and collective health and well-being in disaster settings. Though globally gaining more attention, GSW has been slow to develop in the Canadian social work curriculum and professional training. This deficit jeopardizes integrating environmental and climate justice and sustainability in social work research and practice in Canada. In response to this pedagogical inadequacy, this article employs a critical reflection approach to examine two authors’ two-academic-year teaching–learning and supervision-training experiences of GSW-specific in-class and field education in a Master of Social Work program. The content analysis illustrates three essential components for GSW-specific teaching and training, namely adaptability, interdisciplinarity, and engageability. These components enhance the prospective social workers’ micro-, mezzo-, and macro-level practices to better support individuals, families, and communities affected by extreme events and promote their health and well-being in disaster and non-disaster scenarios. These GSW-specific pedagogies shed light on the fact that integrading climate change, disasters, and diverse crises in pedagogical innovations should be encouraged beyond the social work profession. A multidisciplinary multi-stakeholder engagement approach would comprehensively investigate and evaluate the essential components and evidence-based strategies that better serve inhabitants and promote resilience and sustainability. Full article