Perspectives of Ecosocial Practice in Human Services : An International Comparison between Finland and Australia

Abstract

This article reports on research in Finland and Australia exploring the similarities and differences between Finnish and Australian human service professionals' perspectives about ecosocial practice. Surveys consisting of quantitative questions were conducted in both countries, recruiting 542 Finnish participants and 277 Australian participants. Data from each country were analysed descriptively using SPSS software, and the results were compared. Findings indicated that participants in both countries believed that the natural environment and climate change are important at a personal level. However, differences emerged between countries at the professional level, with a higher proportion of Australian participants connecting environmental concerns with human services. Higher proportions of Australian participants also reported adverse impacts of climate change on the well-being of clients or service users. Similarly, Australian participants engaged with clients about ecosocial matters more often. In both countries, participants experienced a lack of support from organisations to facilitate ecosocial practice. These results indicate that, in Australia, a region particularly prone to environmental disasters, participants were more actively engaged in ecosocial practice. Regardless of the different social service systems, the need to challenge neoliberalism through structural reform within organisational, professional and policy domains is essential for enabling ecosocial practice.

Human service workers in Finland and Australia believe that the natural environment and climate change are important at a personal level but experience a lack of support from organisations to facilitate ecosocial practice. Differences emerged between the countries at a professional level with a higher proportion of Australian participants reporting negative climate change impacts on the well-being of clients or service users, connecting environmental concerns with human services and engaging with clients about ecosocial matters more often. These findings result from two online surveys exploring perspectives on ecosocial practice that recruited 542 Finnish and 277 Australian participants. To implement ecosocial practice, which emphasises the interdependence between human and environmental well-being, structural reform within organisational, professional and policy domains is needed to shift away from current neoliberalist approaches.