engleski

Practising democracy in underprivileged community faced with ecologically hazardous context: possible roles for social work

Human impact on the environment was always significant, particularly since the beginning of the First industrial revolution till today. Less developed regions are often become places where new technologies are experimented with, serve as a source of cheap labour force or places for landfills, among which the biggest risk is nuclear waste. Underdeveloped communities with modest capacity management, high level of economic dependence, lower educated population and low level of environmental awareness, become more exposed to these risks. Example of a small Croatian municipality reflects interactions between community underdevelopment, high ecological risks and lack of democratic procedures that were considered within the frame of environmental justice concept. Research is based on 19 interviews with key stakeholders, activists, social workers and residents, media sources and researchers’ participatory observation. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results indicate two perspectives. First one is that previous underdevelopment produces low community capacities to resist ecological hazards due to community stigmatisation, low political influence, weakened demographic potential, general passiveness and nihilism and experiencing difficulties in meeting basic survival needs. Second point is that ecological hazards are introduced with poor democracy standards: lack of complete and true information, without transparent direct and indirect risk assessment, with informal promises of economic relief, insecure time frame about future steps, with manipulations with the term community, without clear message if local residents have a right to express their attitude and what is legal strength of that attitude. Process is marked with lack of trust in all levels of community structure. Social work is seen as a profession that can advocate higher democratic standards in order to protect human rights on health, clean and healthy environment and to political participation

democracy framework ; Green Social Work ; underdeveloped community

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