SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS - CHALLENGES FOR SOCIAL-WORK

The environmental crisis is a major public policy issue influencing prospects for global peace and human development. This article discusses the social, economic, and political components of environmental issues and their foundation in modern economic and scientific values. Native American culture, religious traditions, ecofeminism, and the ecological model of science provide alternative worldviews that support the goal of ecologically sustainable human social structures. The article examines implications of environmental concerns for social work practice and research. Specific examples are included to illustrate the range of linkages. Expanded use of the ecological model of social work practice is proposed as a theoretical foundation from which to develop the social work profession's response to environmental issues.