Sustainable Livelihoods Perspective in Social Work Education and Practice

Abstract

In the wake of a globalized world and ever-changing social, economic,political and environmental circumstances, the challenges of addressingand sustaining development have become quite complex. A majorimplication of these changes is on the livelihoods of people, which havebecome increasingly fragile and insecure. The present development rhetoricand welfare policies thus focus on the livelihood concerns, way beyondthe established understanding of human subsistence and poverty. In theprevailing scenario, the realm of social work is at crossroads, engaged in anassiduous struggle to rethink, evolve, adapt and overhaul its long-establishedparadigms of practice and education. The paper argues that the social workeducation in India needs to respond to these dynamic local as well asglobal realities and their implication on people’s livelihoods. The practicum.structure must attempt to cater to proficiency building in rational problemsolving.strategies aimed at managing and combating the individual- andcommunity-identified livelihood problems during fieldwork and site visits.
It is contended that incorporating sustainable livelihoods perspective insocial work will reinforce its interdisciplinary base and progressiveorientation, rendering practice and interventions along with provision ofsocial services more meaningful in existing times and ahead.