Exploring the potential of ethics of care for a transformative perspective of sustainability in social work education. Implications for supervision

ABSTRACT

As in other areas, sustainability has gained increasing attention in the field of social work education. Nevertheless, various voices consider that perspectives of sustainability are needed that are more radical than those inspired exclusively by the 2030 Agenda. In this context, the paper explores the specific potential and implications of ethics of care for adopting a transformative perspective of sustainability. To this end, the study first proposes an original framework, drawing on key ideas on the ethics of care, which can be useful in order to explore its implications in social work education. Second, it empirically explores the case of social work studies in the University of València (Spain). Specifically, the research addresses how ethics of care is or can be adopted in the supervision of the final end-of-degree projects or dissertations (Trabajo Final de Grado). This exploration draws on interviews with experts and managers from the University and on two discussion groups with teachers from the Social Work Department. The results show that the implications of adopting ethics of care in social work teaching may relate with very different aspects, from political commitment and the construction of identities to relations with peers, teachers, the community and the natural environment.

KEYWORDS:

• Social work education
• ethics of care
• sustainability
• supervision
• end-of-degree dissertations

Acknowledgement

Authors thank the reviewers of the text and all the people who participated in the interviews and discussion groups.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Vicerectorat d’Ocupació i Programes Formatius de la Universitat de València under Grant UV-SFPIE_PID-1639396.