Integrating Critical Environmental Justice Theory in Ecosocial Work Research

We are in a climate and environmental crisis. As social work looks toward the next 30 years, we must understand, address, and integrate climate and environmental justice into social work research and practice. Recently, critical theoretical frameworks have become more mainstream indicating a shift to more radical approaches and systematic approaches to research and practice. Similarly, political tension and deep rifts between Americans have become more apparent. Social work has positioned itself as a profession which strives to address society’s ills and move towards a more equitable future for all people and the planet. As our understanding of the connection between environmental justice and other social justice challenges grows, the need to move away from anthropocentric approaches and towards critical approaches is clear. It is our position that Critical Environmental Justice (CEJ) is a theoretical framework in which we can more effectively move towards justice.

CEJ builds on environmental justice (EJ) by adding a critical lens for analyzing not only what is happening to humans and the more-than-human world, but ways to address why it is happening and how action can be taken. As a critical framework, CEJ emphasizes the ways that injustice is tied to intersectional identities and power structures and considers environmental justice and racism to be an outcome of racial capitalism. Moving beyond the distributive and procedural justice focuses of EJ scholarship, CEJ offers a critical approach to environmental justice scholarship the opportunity to identify and act on the consequences and sources of our ecosocial crises, which are summarized in the four pillars of the CEJ framework: 1) intersectionality of oppression; 2) multiscalar methodologies, theoretical approaches, and interventions; 3) transformative over reformist solutions; and 4) indispensability.

In this session, three emerging scholars will introduce the CEJ framework, including its history, four pillars, and potential for application within the social work profession. Speakers will explore the theoretical foundations that CEJ draws upon and how CEJ addresses limitations in other environmental justice frameworks. Next, each speaker will discuss how they are incorporating CEJ into their social work research. The first presenter (first author) will build upon the limitations of other frameworks and discuss the unique strengths of CEJ and how it currently stands as a strong framework to address a wide array of social challenges. Particular attention will be paid to trends in popular theories and the departure from more traditional theories as emerging scholars develop their research agendas. The second presenter will share how the CEJ framework can be employed to understand climate change impacts on mental health among food system workers and address climate injustices by working in solidarity with oppressed communities. The third presenter will discuss how CEJ can be used to build coalitions across social work research agendas. Finally, there will be time for questions and an interactive discussion with attendees including room for critiques of CEJ and space to explore other applications of CEJ in social work practice and research.