Eileen M. Brennan, John Dean Ossowski,

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Using Community Projects to Teach Sustainability
Theory An Advanced HBSE Course

• Eileen M. Brennan, John Dean Ossowski,
• and Jessie Camille Kadolph
• Annual Program Meeting
• Council on Social Work Education
• October 16, 2010

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• This presentation was supported by a grant from
  the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation
  through the Center for Sustainable Processes and
  Practices,
• Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA

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Objectives - Participants will be able to

1. Discuss the three aspects of sustainability
   theory economic, environmental and social and
   apply each component to social work practice at
   the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.
2. Identify key components of a model curriculum for
   an advanced HBSE course that focuses on
   sustainability.
3. Use community-based learning projects to help
   students apply abstract HBSE theory to practice
   situations and to generate excitement through a
   transformative learning approach.  

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Sustainability Defined

• Definitions are wide ranging and varied.
• Common themes
• A long-term, intergenerational focus
• Example meeting the needs of the present
  without compromising the ability of future
  generations to meet their own needs.
  (World Commission on Environment and
  Development, 1987)

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Sustainability Defined (continued)

• Common themes
• Connection between collective human behavior and
  environmental impacts
• ExampleFour dimensions of sustainability all
  of which are conditions that must be attained to
  ensure the continuation of all life on the planet
  are human survival, biodiversity, equity, and
  life quality. These dimensions are interconnected
  and imply that sustainability means living in
  harmony with fellow humankind, bird, beast, air,
  land, sky, and sea. (Mary, 2008, 33)

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Models of Sustainability

• Three Pillars
• Economic, Environmental, Social
• Two Common Models

Environment
Environment
Society
Economy
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Society and the Environment A Two-Way
Street
Mitigation
There is a growing need to prevent human activity that is associated with environmental damage.
Example Smog attributed to motor vehicle emissions.
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A Two-Way Street Society and the Environment
Adaptation
There is a need to rectify and alleviate the humans suffering resulting from environmental damage.
Disproportionate and Intergenerational effects of Urban Air Pollution (Bell, Cohen Malekafzali, 2010)
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Highlighting the Importance of the Social
Dimension Our Ecological Crisis as Symptomatic
of a Social Problem
CONSUMERISM Industrialized economy needed to
support the consumption demands. Provides means
to procure and process materials from natural
world.
ALIENATION Values individual achievement above
all else. Inordinate resources to maintain
lifestyles (i.e. everyone must own the best car
they can afford). Everyone competes for
everything.
POLLUTION and ENVIRONMENTAL DEGREDATION
Economic activity produce pollution and deplete
natural resources faster than they can be
replenished.
Based in part on a model proposed by Stephen
McKenzie in McKenzie, S. (2004).
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Highlighting the Importance of the Social
Dimension Towards a Culture-Shift as a Solution
COHESION Values a long term perspective in terms
of economic growth to support human health and
well-being. Competition exists within limits.
CONSUMPTION Growth is planned with needs of
future generations in mind. Materials extracted
in ways that promote long-term human health.
Respect eco-systems and natural limits.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY Waste is carefully
managed so the future can meet needs and are
equally distributed among society. Resources
consumed with natures ability to replenish them.
Based in part on a model proposed by Stephen
McKenzie in McKenzie, S. (2004).
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How can social workers help?

• Social workers are professionals who work to
  promote human health and well-being on micro,
  mezzo and macro levels of practice.

MICRO (Individual)
MEZZO (Organization, Community)
MACRO (Policy)
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Expanding Our Thinking A Conceptual Shift
SOCIAL ECONOMIC
MICRO (Individual)
MEZZO (Organization, Community)
MACRO (Policy)
Traditional Area Of Focus
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Illustrating the Conceptual Shift In a
Sustainability Framework
SOCIAL ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENTAL
MICRO (Individual)
MEZZO (Organization, Community)
MACRO (Policy)
Inter-relationship
Expanded area of focus
Inter-relationship
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H2O Project Example Matrix
SOCIAL ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENTAL
MICRO (Individual) Personal health promoted by drinking clean water instead of soft drinks Individuals save money by using free water in a reusable container, rather than paying for bottled water. Individual gains peace of mind knowing that their choice prevented the environmental damage caused by bottled water (i.e. plastics and hydrologic cycle interruption)
MEZZO (Organization, Community) Community health improves by using water stations as a educational device (informing the campus community about the benefits of drinking filtered tap water) Local water bureau is supported as water provided by the bureau is used local job creation. Reduction in waste and litter caused by using bottled water in disposable plastic containers. Reduction in energy needed to refrigerate many bottles of water (in contrast to water that is filtered as used).
MACRO (Policy) May cause a shift away from policies that support privatization of water supplies. Aggregate effects of supporting local water bureaus creates local jobs and ensures ongoing support for a public source of clean drinking water. Aggregate effects of reduced reliance on bottled water results in reduced pollution (wasted plastic bottles) and reduced interruptions of the hydrologic cycle. Less petroleum-fueled transportation needed to supply water to people results in less air pollution and less greenhouse gas emissions.
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Education for Sustainability in Social Work

• Using a Transformative Learning Approach

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Supportive Educational Environment

• Portland State University
• Houses the Center for Sustainable Processes and
  Practices.
• Received a 25 million grant from the Miller
  Foundation to move sustainability ahead.
• Offers a Graduate Certificate Program in
  Sustainability.
• School of Social Work
• Faculty members were given a grant to team with
  other departments to form a Social Sustainability
  Network with PSU faculty, students, and community
  members.
• Emphasizes community-based learning.

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Sustainability at PSU

• Sustainability is often thought of as comprised
  of three overlapping goals
• (a) to live in a way that is environmentally
  sustainable or viable over the long term
• (b) to live in a way that is economically
  sustainable, maintaining living standards over
  the long term and
• (c) to live in a way that is socially
  sustainable, now and in the future
• (Dillard, Dujon, King, 2009, p. 2)

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Challenging Course Content

• Introduction to climate change and environmental
  challengesrelation to micro, mezzo, and macro
  levels of practice.
• Environmental, economic, and social justice for
  individuals, groups, and communities.
• Sustainable development and SW.
• International and global context.
• Sustainability and groups at risk.
• Working toward sustainability at the community
  level.
• Creating empowering partnerships.
• Sustainability and SW ethics.
• Revisiting sustainability and social worktheory
  and practice.

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Emphasized an Ecocentric Perspective

• Encouraged students to develop a view of the
  earth in which humans are one species in a planet
  that is enveloped by a complex web of life,
  rather than dominated by people and their
  technology (Capra, 1996, 2002).
• Sought to help them end their alienation from the
  natural environment (Jones, 2010).
• Fostered a re-indigenization of individuals by
  connecting them to place (Coates, Gray
  Heatherington, 2006 Hall, 2010).

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Engaging Students

• Three major concerns in designing the course
• How to make the abstract conceptual frameworks of
  sustainability come alive for the students in
  this advanced HBSE course.
• How to get students to deeply examine their
  beliefs about their place in the natural world,
  their own environmental behavior, and their
  approaches to practice.
• How to discuss the challenges of mitigating and
  adapting to climate change without overwhelming
  them with its enormity and immediacy (Hartmann,
  2004 Weil, 2009).

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Transformative Learning

• Transformative learning is learning that
  transforms problematic frames of referencesets
  of fixed assumptions and expectations (habits of
  mind, meaning perspectives, mindsets)to make
  them more inclusive, discriminating, open,
  reflective, and emotionally able to change
  (Mezirow, 2003, p. 58)
• The course was designed to have students engage
  with the sustainability framework through dialog,
  personal reflection, and social
  actionparticularly appropriate for social work
  education (Jones, 2009 Kitchenham, 2008).

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Phases of Transformative Learning

1. Disorienting dilemma.
2. Self-examination with feelings of guilt or shame.
3. Critical assessment of assumptions.
4. Recognition that the process of transformation is
   shared with others.
5. Exploration of options--new roles, relationships,
   actions.

1. Planning of a course of action.
2. Acquisition of knowledge and skills for
   implementing ones plan.
3. Provisional trying of new roles.
4. Building of competence and self confidence in new
   roles.
5. Reintegration into ones life with a new
   perspective.
6. Renegotiating relationships.

(Mezirow, 1991)
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Enacting Transformation - Reflection

• Head-on discussions of climate change presented a
  disorienting dilemma for class participants.
• Lively discussions of environmental justice and
  globalization evoked strong feelingsas class
  members realized those who had small carbon
  footprints were experiencing some of the gravest
  consequences.
• Basic assumptions regarding American
  exceptionality and modernity were discussed.
• First assignment was to write a paper on a
  personal definition of sustainability, which was
  then applied to a group at risk.

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Enacting Transformation - Social Action

• Students were asked to form groups to design and
  carry out projects that would promote
  sustainability.
• Often involved discussions in depth of course
  concepts and community conditions, and required
  them to acquire new skills (such as social
  marketing).
• Also resulted in trying out new roles as
  promoters of sustainable thinking and actions.

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Enacting Transformation - Reintegration

• Students kept personal journals that recorded
  their experiences in the groups and reactions to
  readings.
• Final assignments involved sharing their work
  with other students, faculty and community
  members through posters presented in a
  Sustainability Fair at the end of the term.
• Synthesized work in a final paper that included
  self-reflections on the ways the community-based
  projects were applications of sustainability
  theory.

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Why Sustainability in Social Work? Why Me?

• Worked in Central Appalachia repairing homes
  with families experiencing poverty
• Saw environmental and economic impacts, but
  less aware of social aspects
• Course tied personal experiences with academic
  perspectives on topic

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HBSE Graduate Course on Social Work and
Sustainability

• Case Studies

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Supply Exchange Sustainability Promotion

• Started an exchange of usable school supplies for
  the School of Social Work.

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Supply Exchange Sustainability Promotion

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Green Cleaning - Sustainability Promotion

• Held sessions teaching social workers how to make
  non-toxic cleaning substances

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Personal Outcomes of Course
Social Work and SustainabilityA Narrative
Approach to Social, Economic and Environmental
Issues in the Profession
Participant Quote from a worker in the field of
child welfare I havent had a lot of training
in this (physical environment in social work).
Integrating Environmental Elements into Social
Work Education
Participant Quote I believe without a greater
knowledge of the world environmental issues, we
miss an an opportunity to improve the quality of
life holistically.
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Class Outcomes

• New skills such as social marketing, partnering
  with community organizations and behaviors that
  promote sustainability.
• Additional knowledge about the current
  environmental crisis, globalization,
  sustainability theory and the relation to social
  work.
• In order to transition to a sustainable future,
  we must concern ourselves with what leads
  individuals to engage in behavior that
  collectively is sustainable, and design our
  programs accordingly. Then, the transition must
  be shaped well in such a manner that in the end,
  communities will be able to pass down the values
  to the next generation with ease. (Naanyane,
  2009, final paper).

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- Change to education in classroom and in
Continuing Education- Change in practice - New
area of academicians and researchers-
Encourages interdisciplinary work- Gives more
well-rounded perspective- Views external factors
as well- Examines people in their own environment
Outcomes for Outside of Class
(Insert a picture here - I just havent found an
appropriate one yet.)
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Participant Quote I dont think it is a lack of
wanting to help I think it is a lack of
knowledge of the subject
N200
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References

• Bell, J., Cohen, L., Malekafzali, S. (2010). 
  The transportation prescription Bold new ideas
  for healthy, equitable transportation reform in
  America.  Oakland PolicyLink.  Accessed on
  March, 15, 2010 from http//www.policylink.org/at
  f/cf/7B97C6D565-BB43-406D-A6D5-ECA3BBF35AF07D/tr
  ansportationRX_final.pdf
• Capra, F. (1996). The web of life. New York
  Doubleday.
• Capra, F. (2002). The hidden connections
  Integrating the biological, cognitive, and social
  dimensions of life into a science of
  sustainability. New York Random House.
• Coates, Gray Heatherington (2006). An
  ecospiritual perspective Finally a place for
  indigenous approaches. British Journal of Social
  Work, 36 (3), 381-399.
• Dillard, J., Dujon, V. King, M.C. (2009).
  Introduction. In J. Dillard, V. Dujon, M.C King
  (Eds.) Understanding the social dimension of
  sustainability (pp. 2-12). New York Routledge.
  
• Hall, D. E. (2010). A call home Rediscovering
  ourselves through re- indigenization. Manuscript
  submitted for publication. Department of
  Psychology, Portland State University, Portland,
  OR.

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References

• Hartmann, T. (2004). The last hours of ancient
  sunlight The fate of the world and what we can
  do before its too late. New York Three Rivers
  Press.
• Hawke, Stephen (2004). Social sustainability
  Towards some definitions. Hawke Research
  Institute Working Paper Series, 27, 1 29.
• Jones (2010). Responding to the ecological
  crisis Transformative pathways for social work
  education. Journal of Social work Education, 46
  (1), 67-84.
• Kitchenham, A. (2008). The evolution of John
  Mezirows transformative learning theory. Journal
  of Transformative Education, 6 (2), 104-123.
• Mary, N. (2008). Social work in a sustainable
  world. Chicago Lyceum Books.
• Mezirow, J. (2003). Transformative learning as
  discourse. Journal of Transformative Education,
  1 (1), 58-63.
• Weil, Z. (2009). Most good, least harm A simple
  principle for a better world and meaningful life.
  New York Simon Schuster.

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Questions?