Research proposal - Climate change and role of social worker

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Word count - 2400

 Introduction

Climate change has been a significant threat to the community with social work action. The
research will equip social workers with a better understanding of their role in intending climate
change as environmental issues. Climate change has been noticeable across the globe with
changes from extreme heat, rain, and snowfall which have severe impacts on communities and
the ecosystem (Schimtz, 2012). The impacts have been far-reaching such as drought and
decreased food supply. Social workers can apply the skills for working on justice and urban
housing for climate justice. The environmental justice shows global warming and a worsening
scenario with mounting impact on natural resources. Social workers are involved in
environmental justice for the fair distribution of resources. The impact through the use of a
person in the environmental approach and orientation towards social worker responsibility will
be address through the literature review for the role of the social worker in dealing with climate
change. Climate change and environmental justice movements hazards highlight the existing
inequities suffered by the vulnerable. The need for structured and social constructivism for
assessing the current social work is currently desirable. This study aims to understand the climate
change impact and understand the barrier to facilitation by the social worker. It is imperative to
prepare local, national, and intergovernmental planning for shifting plans to adaptations for
climate change.

Aim of research

The relevance of the study in understanding the role of social workers on how they can impact
the climate change need and adaption to the effective path and barrier if any faced.

Research Objective(s)

The research proposal will assess how the social worker can make important contribution in
empowering people for ideological shift in social work practice.
The research will focus on the questions -

• What resources would social workers need to effectively help meet the perceived challenges?

• What are the key barriers/constraints to action?

Literature review

The literature focused majorly on the role of the social worker and social work practice. Appleby
(2017) has emphasized social work intervention due to the disproportionate experience of
environmental degradation which is dependent on preparedness, capacity building, and
advocacy. This requires a key ideological change in social work to include consideration for the
environment. Several authors has acknowledged the importance of social workers and their role
in climate change with key work in remote areas. Social workers can develop a working practice
based individual conceptualization of climate change justice. The key solutions developed for
educating social workers to focus on expanding social work practice for the environment.
Climate change is part of grave concern and has a negative impact on the health and well-being
of the communities. Dominelli (2012) highlights the limitations that can be due to a lack of
professional training and points to the resolution of advocacy in grassroots amplification by
using strength-based practice in eliminating unjust equity. Holbrook (2019) points out the role of
social work to help the client in an environmentally responsible manner. Social workers can
coherently transmit and disseminate information through field visits and building residence
through the program.

Climate changes have been sparsely attended in the literature with support and action and
intervention program lacking in the work. Dominelli (2011) points the need for mainstream
funding programs to empower social workers. The major drawback of the literature is envision
of the social work profession in policy and practice for climate change planning. The articles
have not been able to generate vigorous debate on social workers’s current practice The actions
and effective path to mobilize change has not been highlighted. The capability for unique
opportunities increasing community learning partner is stressed in his exploratory research with
activism and integration of related discipline. The social worker's preliminary role is in
protecting the marginalized from the crisis and protecting the rights of the indigenous. The social
worker focuses on integration to address contemporary education. Revisiting and engaging with
natural environment will help in developing a climate change policy statement.

Holbrook (2019) highlights the expansion of person in the environment to equip social workers
outline the drama-oriented response with social work instructors can provide modalities. The
author further highlights the environmentally sustainable solution will protect the environment in
improving quality of life. The literature focuses on incorporating the environmental justice
framework and the cultivation of a new field setting for the application of environmental justice
theory. The literature has limited coping strategies and social workers' perceptions in recognizing
environmental concerns. The environmental justice program requires a network and resources
for the reachability of the individual. The community supported work engagement requires the
strength-based approach for climate change intervention.

Faruqe (2013) highlighted the process of developing social standards with context-specific action
in communities and surrounding the education and practice of social work professionals.
Similarly Shahjahan (2018) highlighted that climate change is a social justice issue that requires
warnings for prevention and relief strategies. The author highlights the need for conciseness
building and sustainable development to mitigate the negative impact.

Sugritha (2015) highlights the challenges faced by social workers and identify the local efforts in
change adaptation of vulnerable citizen. The author challenges the human service to explore
climate change and facilitate wider conceptualization. The current social work emphasizes the
role of social environment. Environmental justice also requires resource allocation with the
development of compliance of policies to promote sustainable action in social work practice .
(Achstatter, 2014). The author points challenges and the need for the shift in practice in creating
pedagogical strategies to map social work skills. The research shows a lack of positioning of
social workers in overcoming challenges of deregulation and capacity building

The social workers' profession values and understanding of issues of oppression and related to
vulnerability this is critical in communicating to vulnerable population. The current social work
literature has asked for social worker engagement in an environmental crisis. Teixeria (2015)
stresses the need for social workers to facilitate activities at the individual level in reducing
carbon emission and the need for the development of a new approach for a new way forward as
social workers are engaged in mitigating natural and man-made environments. Rambaree (2020)
put forward, in his study, environment social work need to be prepared for disasters of both
natural and human. The author considers the key focus is based on the person in environment
perspective. However, social work education has largely neglected the biophysical environment.
The literature do not focus community action due to contingency failure. The literature lacks the
emphasis on unidirectional communication for mobilizing pro-environmental action. Climate
change is not discussed in mainstream social work. Dealing with climate change will require
local and national intervention. The literature does not focus on action at global national and
local level intervention. Climate change as a threat to social welfare and access to opportunities
to thrive and develop.

Methodology

The purpose of this research is to identify barriers to social worker action. The qualitative
research method will be used to conceptualize personal thoughts. The narrative data will be
obtained through semi-structured, individual interviews. The research methodology that will be
followed will be phenomenology for this research process. Phenomenology will ensure the
research participants shared experiences are reflected Flynn (2016). Recruitment of social
workers will be done carefully to account for their role in climate change. This research will be
indicative to understanding perspective to find a comprehensive solution for the social work
profession. This will be instrumental in cumulative experience with interrogative first-hand
account experience. The qualitative research will focus as the preferred approach for the
informant's experience about the problem area. The survey will be the structure for reliability and
data analysis process of response by methods of data generation will structure the result. Climate
change practice has remained unrelated to social work practice impacting the vulnerable
population will be assessed through interview process. The social work practice through the
research will assess the key measures that can be adapted in the social work profession for
advocacy and adapting to the challenges of climate change. Phenomenology as based on
aesthetic judgment with natural everyday attitude as well as structure for guided interpretation
will guide the research. This approach will help in entitlement with learned and inherit
experience. The research approach through qualitative engagement and analysis will provide
social workers and eliminating barrier for addressing climate change measures.

Interviews will be conducted for first-hand experience and profound understanding of the work
practice. The qualitative research will use phenomenology for potential solutions for creating
sustainable solutions for addressing climate change. The research will address the role of social
work involvement. The research methodology is critical as this will ensure tools and techniques
to be used for the research objectives outlined. The research approach will focus on gaining a
broader perspective on the issue. The data collection will be based on both primary and
secondary sources. The primary source will include semi-structured interviews and secondary
research will include journal articles. The data analysis will be presented through diagrammatic
and charts on the impact assessed for the research design. The flow of the interview will be
purposefully designed for personal actions, support needed, fairness, and justice. The change
adaptation will be studied with a focus on social work's action. Interviews will be conducted via
telephone and transcripts will be recorded for summarizing approximately 45 minutes for an
individual account. The interview themes will follow will be based on personal action,
professional action, fairness, and justice for the study. The flow of action will follow data
reduction, display, and verification
Inclusion and exclusion criteria

The inclusion criteria for the study include participants who hold a social work degree and living
in the Queensland region. The population that does not consider the environmental issue under
their current purview has been excluded from the research process. The aged group above 50
years and people involved directly in a similar research process will be excluded from the
research process.

Sampling method

 The sampling technique is designed as part of the population for the sample for the constructive
determinant of the call to action identifying the practice-based approach.  The sampling method
will be snowball sampling a non-probabilistic method to generate the sample based on snowball
sampling. This sampling type will allow me in engaging with social workers engaged in climate
activism. The sample size will be 60 participants based in Queensland engaged with the social
work association. Detailed emails covering aspects of the research plan will be shared for
approval by the individual member. The benefit of using snowball sampling is that increases the
quality of the product (Braun, 2006). Selection bias may occur due to snowball sampling as a
social worker make connections between climate change and work practice. The convenient
sampling would have negatively impacted the trustworthiness. The sample size will be
determined to ensure a broad overview and non-uniform insights. After data has been analyzed it
will be disposed of by removing the labels. The sample size is suitable for the research
considering the monetary and time feasibility of university student research process.

Data analysis

The data analysis will follow the manifest and latent themes pattern for the themes that emerged
through the interview process (Flynn, 2012). The data analysis will analyze key block area
towards the progress and support system needed for assessing the concerns of climate change.
The descriptive data analysis will contribute to the research process examining the barriers
experienced within the emerging themes as prefaced for ongoing development.

The interview questions will be designed in reflective experience for emerging analysis as well
as reporting. Encrypted recordings will be restructured and will be stored on a password-
protected device. Qualitative research methods will help complex service delivery analysis on
monitoring social workers subjective experience data analysis will involve immersion of textual
material for interpreting the information gathered (Braun, 2006) . For research purposes,
documentation will include the sample selection, data collection procedure, and data analysis
procedure. The data will be evaluated by interpretive analysis by focusing on relevant themes for
enhancing convenience and efficiency.

Ethical considerations and limitations of research

Ethical consideration will be ensured while conducting the research process as well as protection
and respect of the dignity of the participants. To avoid cultural and moral norms are ensured a
due diligence will be performed before conducting the interview of the participants. All the
participants will be provided with a detailed consent form before the research process and
voluntary participation details. The informed consent include the intent of the research, data
used and reported as well as how data will be collected (Yegidis, 2018). The clarity on the the
ownership of data will be communicated to the users. This will include the research process as
well as the risk associated with the research. During the process no action/ activity will be
undertaken with legal implications and causing uncomfortable situation to the participant.. The
harm can be characterized as physical, time, emotional such risk will be minimized and will be
listed in the informed consent. The consent form will be shared with the participants by email.
Another aspect of confidentiality will be assured to the participants and the details will be kept
anonymous. Communication done during the course of the research will be through complete
transparency. The audit trail will be maintained during the research process to maintain the
trustworthiness of the research. Similarly, a journal will be used for documenting the experience
and maintenance of the highest level of objectivity during the discussion and analysis. The
participants will be ensured that they will be free to exit from the procedure during the course of
research and meeting the obligations and responsibility for a mutual agreement. The result of the
research will be available to participants post completion of the research.

Informants will be guided about the benefits with a potential contribution to limited research and
encouraging social work action on climate change. The categorization will be detailed to check
the reliability and consistency as well as examining the details to ensure no conflict of interest.
Informants will be educated about climate change with significant issues on climate change. The
key limitations are the results of the study cannot be generalized as this only covered a limited
geographical area for the research purpose as well as bias due to sampling.
References

Achstatter, L. C. (2014). Climate change: Threats to social welfare and social justice requiring
social work intervention. 21st Century Social Justice, 1(1), 1-22.

Appleby, K. Bell, A & Boetto, H. (2017) Climate change adaptation: community action,
disadvantaged groups and practice implications for social work. Australian Social Work, 70(1),
78-91, doi: 10.1080/0312407X.2015.1088558

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in
Psychology, 3(2), 77-101.

Dominelli, L. (2012). Green social work: From environmental crises to environmental justice.
Cambridge, ENG: Polity Press.

Dominelli, L. (2011). Climate change: social workers' roles and contributions to policy debates
and interventions. 4(1), 23-34, International Journal of social welfare.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2397.2011.00795.x

Faruque, C. J. & Ahmmed, F. (2013). Development of social work education and practice in an
era of international collaboration and cooperation. Journal of International Social Issues, 2(1),
61-70.

Flynn, C., & McDermott, F. (2016). Doing research in social work and social care: The journey
from student to practitioner researcher. London: Sage

Holbrook, MA Akbar, G. & Eastwood, J. (2019) Meeting the challenge of human-induced

climate change: reshaping social work education. Social Work Education, 38(8), 955-967, DOI:
10.1080/02615479.2019.1597040
Rambaree, K. (2020). Environmental social work: Implications for accelerating the
implementation of sustainable development in social work curricula. International Journal of
Sustainability in Higher Education, 21(3), 557-574

Schmitz, C. L., Matyók, T., James, C., & Sloan, L. M. (2012). The relationship between social
work and environmental sustainability: Implications for interdisciplinary practice. International
Journal of Social Welfare 21, 1(9). doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2397.2011.00855.x

Shahjahan, P.K. & Sharma, P. (2018). Environment justice: A call to action for social workers.
International Social Work, 61(4), 476-480

Sugritha, J.T. & Flower, L.X. (2015). Global warming , climate change and the need for green
social work. Indian Journal of Applied Research, 5(12), 102-104

Teixeira, S. & Krings, A. (2015) Sustainable Social Work: An Environmental Justice Framework
for Social Work Education. Social Work Education, 34(5), 513-527. doi: 10.1080/
02615479.2015.1063601

Yegidis, B. L., Weinbach, R. W., & Myers, L. L. (2018). Research methods for social workers
(8th ed.). New York: Pearson.