ABSTRACT
The interdependency between humans and nature is the basis upon which humans rely for their physical existence (Dominelli, 2012). Another connection – an emotional and spiritual one – cannot be overestimated for human development, survival and well-being (Besthorn, 2003). Social work has been slow to enter the environmental field, in research, teaching and practice (Dominelli, 2011; 2013). Theorists and practitioners have called for the adoption of a new perspective for the ‘person-in-environment’ concept and the definition of a holistic approach to social work which utilised interdisciplinary discourses to promote practices and policies that take responsibility for the environment and those most vulnerable to changes in it (Dominelli, 2012). In this study, we identify the ways in which communities organised in local environmental struggles and examine what is, or could be, the role of green social work in such cases.
