Ecological, Environmental and Green Social Work - ASC52PV11

• Title: Ecological, Environmental and Green Social Work
• Form of teaching: lecture+seminar
• Guaranteed by: Department of Social Work (21-KSOCP)
• Faculty: Faculty of Arts
• Actual: from 2026
• Duration in semesters: 1
• Semester: winter
• Points: 0
• E-Credits: 4
• Examination process: winter s.:
• Hours per week, examination: winter s.:1/1, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: 10 / unknown (10)
• Maximum number of enrolled students: 10
• Min. number of students: 5
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Repeated enrollment: 2 / 2 / 2 / 2
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment
• Guarantor: Mgr. et Mgr. Daniel Štěpánek, Ph.D.; PhDr. Melanie Zajacová, Ph.D., LL.M.
• Teacher(s): Mgr. et Mgr. Daniel Štěpánek, Ph.D.; PhDr. Melanie Zajacová, Ph.D., LL.M.

Annotation

The course presents the ecological and environmental dimension of social work with an emphasis on connections in the context of social, environmental, and climate injustice. Students will learn about the development of green social work, theories of environmental justice, and opportunities for social workers to intervene at the micro, meso, and macro levels. The course combines theoretical concepts with practical examples, including social work in communities affected by ecological disasters, the impacts of the climate crisis on vulnerable groups, and the ethics of caring for the Earth.

Last update: Myšková Dana (11.03.2026)

Course completion requirements

Examination in the form of a presentation on a chosen topic, emphasizing the specificity of reflection, discourse and practice in the presenter's country. The presentation must include a critical assessment of the discourse and identification of possible limits to practice and recommendations for modifying practice (60%). Final essay (8 NS) (40%)

Last update: Myšková Dana (11.03.2026)

Literature

Dominelli L (2019) Green social work, political ecology and environmental justice. In: Webb SA (ed.) The Routledge Handbook of Critical Social Work. London: Routledge, pp. 233-243.

Dominelli L (2019) Women and Community Action: Local and Global Perspectives. Third ed. Policy Press.

Dominelli L (2012) Green Social Work: From Environmental Crises to Environmental Justice. First ed. Cambridge, UK: Polity Books.

Gray M et al (2013) Environmental Social Work. London: Routledge.

Dominelli L (2021) A green social work perspective on social work during the time of COVID-19. International Journal of Social Welfare, 30 (1), pp. 7-16.

Dominelli L (2019) Green Social Work in City Spaces: Greening Urban Cityscapes through Green Social Work Perspectives. In: Munford R & O’Donoghue K (eds.) New Theories for Social Work Practice: Ethical Practice for Working with Individuals, Families and Communities. London: Jessica Kingsley, pp. 157-176.

Dominelli L (2019) Reconceptualising poverty in Europe: Exclusion, marginality and absolute poverty reframed through participatory relational space. In: Gaisbauer HP, Schweiger G & Sedmak C (eds.) Absolute poverty in Europe: interdisciplinary perspectives on a hidden phenomenon. Bristol: Policy Press, pp. 17-38. 

Dominelli L (ed)(2020) The Routledge Handbook of Green Social Work. London: Routledge.

Last update: Myšková Dana (11.03.2026)

Syllabus

Thematic areas:

Introduction to environmental and green social work

Historical development and conceptual frameworks (Sendai, Kyoto, SDGs)

Environmental justice and climate justice

Intersectionality, poverty, and ecological inequalities

Critical theories: ecofeminism, postcolonialism, and decolonization

Human rights, the environment, and the role of social work

Green social work in community practice

Mental health, trauma, and environmental anxiety

Social work in the context of ecological disasters

Institutional and political frameworks

The ethics of caring for the planet

Participatory projects, advocacy, and activism

Last update: Myšková Dana (11.03.2026)

Learning outcomes

Defines key concepts of environmental and green social work.

Explains the relationships between social, environmental, and climate injustices.

Reflects on ethical and value issues related to environmental intervention in social work.

Applies concepts of green social work to specific case situations.

Proposes possible strategies and approaches for environmentally oriented social intervention.

Analyzes political and institutional frameworks influencing environmental justice.

Last update: Myšková Dana (11.03.2026)