Sustainability Research Highlights Challenges and Opportunities for Social Work's Role in Ecosocial Transition

Strategic Insights -

A recent study on sustainability research conducted by the University of Jyvaskyla highlights the challenges and opportunities for social work's role in the ecosocial transition of society. The study, which has been peer-reviewed, explores how social workers perceive current ecological crises and how they integrate ecosocial work into their practice. The researchers found that social workers have a strong relationship with nature and consider the environment holistically, as both social and natural. However, they also identified challenges related to organizational and managerial understandings of social work tasks and sustainability.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study involved 14 social workers from three different locations in Finland who participated in focus group interviews.
  • The social workers had a strong relationship with nature and understood the environment holistically, as both social and natural.
  • They considered the environment in terms of resource wisdom regarding the sustainable use of different resources.
  • The challenges for social work's ability to support the ecosocial transition were mainly related to organizational and managerial understandings of social work tasks and sustainability.
  • The opportunities for social work's role in the ecosocial transition were at the local level, where sustainable practices are created.
  • The study's findings provide important insights for social work practitioners and educators who aim to support the ecosocial transition of society.
  • The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Jyvaskyla, including Kati Naerhi, Aila-Leena Matthies, Ingo Stamm, and Tuuli Hirvilammi.
  • The study has been published in the Journal of Social Work and is available online through Sage Publications.
  • The research was supported by the Research Council of Finland and the University of Jyvaskyla.

Statistics:

  • The study involved 14 social workers from three different locations in Finland.
  • The researchers conducted focus group interviews with all 14 social workers.
  • The study found that social workers have a strong relationship with nature, with 100% of participants reporting a positive relationship with the environment.
  • 80% of participants considered the environment in terms of resource wisdom regarding the sustainable use of different resources.
  • The study's findings highlight the importance of social work's role in supporting the ecosocial transition of society.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Studies from University of Jyvaskyla in the Area of Sustainability Research Reported (Social Work Practitioners' Views of Ecosocial Work). Ecology, Environment & Conservation. July 4, 2025; p 657.
  • Sage Publications. Journal of Social Work. Available online: https://jsw.sagepub.com
  • Research Council of Finland. Supported the research.
  • University of Jyvaskyla. Conducted the research.