Beyond Disposable Social Work and Towards Ecosocial Work

This study is an inquiry into the role of social work in responding to the vulnerability of poor older adults living in jjokbang-chon, a neighborhood with a high concentration of informal housing in Seoul, South Korea, to extreme weather disasters. The findings presented in this research are derived from a year-long ethnographic study. The fieldwork consisted of living in the community, carrying out participant observations through working with social work-related agencies, and conducting interviews with community members. The findings showed that the government-funded social work agency is mainly rooted in charitable material aid, or what we call disposable social work, and is not only wasteful in terms of the environment but also disposable in the sense that rather than addressing the fundamental problems, it is a short-term reactionary response whose effects quickly fade away. We highlight the work by the local grassroots group as an example of ecosocial work practice, which is more inclusive of the community members by providing opportunities for political participation and decision-making, The findings illuminate the role of ecosocial work in addressing climate change-related disasters in marginalized communities that empower marginalized individuals and communities.