Round Table on Decolonizing Social Work for Anti-Oppressive Research and Practice through Environmental Justice and Reproductive Justice

During one week in 2022, the Supreme Court announced two decisions that undermined constitutional rights and justice for people in the US, Dobbs versus Jackson Women's Health Organization and West Virginia versus Environmental Protection Agency. Dobbs declared that abortion is not a constitutional right, while West Virginia limited the authority of the EPA to regulate greenhouse gasses from power plants to prevent climate change. When considered through Environmental Justice (EJ) and Reproductive Justice (RJ) lenses, polluted environments created through unregulated toxic gasses and restrictions on the reproductive autonomy of pregnant people create unsafe environments that detrimentally harm, especially in oppressed and minoritized communities.

EJ and RJ offer frameworks that conceptualize how topics on reproduction are also topics about the environment. EJ highlights the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people in developing, implementing, and enforcing environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Meanwhile, RJ is a human rights-based framework that outlines the right to sexual and bodily autonomy, the right to determine whether and when to have children, and the right to parent children in safe and sustainable communities. Both EJ and RJ demand improvement of conditions for those oppressed by the status quo and provide a forum for communities to advocate on their behalf - values that parallel those of the social work profession.

This roundtable offers opportunities to explore the intersections between RJ and EJ and apply them for anti-racist social work research and practice. Research that foregrounds RJ and EJ centers voices with lived experiences. Funding and support for qualitative and community-based participatory action research are essential to ensure that lived experiences are at the forefront of social and health sciences. These methodologies provide frameworks and approaches that engage communities in decolonized research by leveraging their expertise to craft priorities and interpret data for cultural congruence, appropriateness, and plausibility. Findings rooted in the community provide social workers with opportunities to translate research into practice to offer focused and tailored advocacy about issues and solutions in their communities.

Strategies for applying RJ and EJ lenses to identify and address the interconnected systems of oppression that impact individuals and communities through research and practice will be discussed. This can lead to more comprehensive and effective interventions that address the root causes of social problems and undo racist and colonialistic systems. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions and share their own insights in applying RJ and EJ for anti-racist research and practice. This roundtable will host a discussion on how social workers can also promote equity and justice by advocating for policies and programs that ensure access to reproductive health care and education and a safe and healthy environment. Presenters will discuss how to apply EJ and RJ in social work practice to increase community empowerment and engagement. This roundtable will offer strategies for incorporating RJ and EJ in social work practice can help advance human rights and social justice, ultimately contributing to decolonization and creation of a more just and equitable society.23-->