Environmental Justice: An Issue for Social Work Education and Practice

What is environmental justice? Why is it important to social work? Social work has a long history with the term "environment" as part of our guiding Ecological Framework. Yet frequently, the assessment of the environment is left out or seen as a difficult domain to understand as part of the complexities of the human experience, particularly for those who are vulnerable, oppressed and poor. This book contains nine articles that showcase environmental justice work in social work practice and in educational settings from around the world. The profession now seems ready to ensure that the "environment" is once again given the consideration it deserves when we are assessing problems in living. These articles were selected for their helpfulness in moving the profession forward conceptually while offering practical tools for the classroom, institutions, and for further scholarship. This book was originally published as a special issue of Social Work Education: The International Journal.

Sondra J. Fogel is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work, and Director of Special Programs in the Honors College, at the University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA. She is the current Editor-in-Chief of Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services. Her published research areas include homelessness, capital punishment, and macro social work practice.

Carenlee Barkdull is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Social Work at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA. She has numerous years of experience in the public and nonprofit sectors encompassing policy advocacy, administration, and community practice. Several years of research in North Dakota's Bakken oil fields have led to a keen interest in the effects of extractive industries on vulnerable populations and the human service sector.

Bret A. Weber is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA. As a member of the Grand Forks City Council, and as co-director of the North Dakota Man Camp Project (including service on the boards of the local Housing Authority and Community Land Trust), his work focuses on social justice issues related to housing, and the social, physical, and economic environment.