Sustainability and the Environment: Developing New Disciplinary Norms

6 Nov 2020

Pressing global issues like environmental change and migration are increasingly covered in the Social Work, Youth Work and Community Development and Nursing literatures. Much of the literature discusses the need for greater awareness of environmental, climate and associated issues amongst these professional groups and the need to integrate these topics into professional education and training. 

This timely webinar set out to share knowledge on connections between climate change and the social professions; build the capacity of educators and practitioners to envisage and develop innovative environmental education practices through interdisciplinary collaboration; and facilitate co-operation between colleagues from the social professions in universities and colleges across Ireland, North and South. 

Presentations (click on the links below to access recorded presentations) 

• Environmental education, Dr Eurig Scandrett, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK. 
• The ecological and climate crisis as an ethical challenge for the helping professions, Dr Satu Ranta-Tyrkkö, Senior Lecturer in Social Work, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland. 
• Translating the language of healthcare sustainability to nurses, Ann Moran, Nurse and Co-ordinator of the Nurse Practice Development Unit (NPDU) at Cork University Hospital and member of the CUH Green Flag Committee.
• Community gardens and social work: a case example of social and environmental sustainability, Maeve Foreman from Mud Island Community Garden in Dublin

This interdisciplinary seminar was organised by Dr Catherine Forde (convenor of the ISS21 Research for Civil Society and Social Action (REACT) research cluster, Dr Fiachra Ó Suilleabháin (co-convenor of the Genders, Sexualities and Families cluster), Dr Angela Flynn (convenor of the Poverties, Social Justice and Inequalities cluster) and Mary Hurley (School of Applied Social Studies & ISS21).