Integrating Environmental Justice and Sustainability into Social Work Education and Professional Training: Case Studies of Pedagogical Initiatives from Central and Eastern Canada
摘要
In recent years there has been a notable increase in social work responses to sustainability and Environmental Justice (EJ). While the attention on education and professional training has also grown, the role of reflective personal experiences of teaching and practitioner training remains largely uncharted. This chapter uses the collaborative autoethnography (CAE) method to better understand the experiences of university teaching and training social work in Central and Eastern Canada. The findings shed new light on the experiences, practices, and objectives of integrating EJ and sustainability into professional training and university education. The chapter reveals the role of shared experiences and multidirectional communication channels in the study setting while advocating for enhanced consciousness in relation to self and others and emphasizing environmental justice and sustainability. Furthermore, it argues for policy advocacy in educational settings that address the negative impacts on vulnerable and marginalised groups, including Indigenous populations. The study draws on the collaboration among social work scholars and educators and their unique, reflective experiences. The chapter encourages mutually supportive learning environments and the co-development of practice-oriented teaching and training materials, contributing towards an inclusive and accountable social work curriculum.