Youth and Community Work for Climate Justice

Towards an Ecocentric Ethics for Practice

Datos Bibliográficos

ID12901890
AutoresJohn Gorman (0000-0002-5153-2045, Victoria University, autor de correspondencia), Alison M Baker (0000-0002-6830-3185, Victoria University), Tim Corney (0000-0002-1980-6835, Victoria University), T Cooper (0000-0002-4758-5881, Edith Cowan University)
Año2024
Volumen18
Número2
Páginas115-130
Fecha de publicación2024-03-20
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaEthics and Social Welfare (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1749-6535 • E-ISSN: 1749-6543
EditorialTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17496535.2024.2327379
OpenAlexW4393052899
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas3
Referencias citadas62

This paper traces an expanded ethical perspective for youth and community work (YCW) practice in response to the climate and biodiversity crises. Discussing ecological ethics, we problematise the liberal humanist emphasis on utilitarianism and reject it as inappropriate for YCW in these times. Instead, we argue for an ecocentric practice ethic which intrinsically values the non-human world. To advance an ecocentric ethical perspective for YCW we draw on decolonial and posthuman theory. Inspired by a Freirean dialogical approach, we apply these theoretical domains as lenses to problematise YCW practice, seeking a generative dialogue between perspectives. Through this, we identify three emergent tasks for ecocentric YCW: (a) thinking and acting beyond the individual; (b) cultivating reciprocal care and connection and (c) practicing critical pedagogies of place. This third element builds on YCW's social pedagogic tradition and provides a practical means to incorporate ecocentric ideas into practice. We conclude that, given the unprecedented implications of climate crises and biodiversity collapse, a YCW ethics that does not consider these implications for young people is insufficient for the context of practice today. Enacting an ecocentric YCW ethics requires ongoing collective praxis and dialogue between young people, practitioners, educators, managers and students

Climate change · Climate justice · Criminology · Economic Justice · Environmental ethics · Political science · Public relations · Sociology · Work (physics · Youth work · Environmental Education and Sustainability · Indigenous and Place-Based Education · Law · Religion, Ecology, and Ethics · Ecology