Social Work in the Anthropocene

Abstract

The reality of the Anthropocene hangs over our heads as we enter the 2020s. Humanity is facing multiple crises, and it has become clear that political and government structures are incapable of dealing with them adequately and equitably. We are seeing the erosion of the liberal democratic state and its institutions, the appeal of populism, mistrust both of politicians and of political institutions, and powerful interests responding by increasing surveillance, secrecy, and control. The Anthropocene also challenges the anthropocentrism that has been taken for granted in the world view of Western modernity, but is proving to be unsustainable and indeed harmful to human and non-human flourishing. This presents a new set of challenges for social work, if it is to remain relevant to the needs of the society, and also to remain true to its value base. This chapter argues that social work needs to explore and adopt theory/practice that is community-based, political, anarchistic, decolonised, matriarchal, and grounded in an ecological epistemology that is both Indigenous and post-human.