Making a living in diverse rural and remote communities
Making a living in diverse rural and remote communities
Social Work in Rural Australia
- Author(s): Bay, Uschi
- Secondary Author(s): Maidment, Jane, Bay, Uschi
- Published: 2012
- Publisher: Routledge
- ISBN: 9781003117278
Abstract: Rural, regional and remote residents draw on diverse assets, and develop or maintain their livelihood strategies, within the context of broader social, political, ecological and other factors. Social work practice in rural and remote Australia takes place in dynamic settings where there are ongoing and dynamic struggles over resources and to attain ecologically, economically, politically and socially sustainable livelihoods. Systems theory in social work focuses attention on the ‘person in environment’, and articulates levels of practice from individual, family, group and community to policy-making and advocacy. One of the tools for understanding ‘rural and remote Australian regions as dynamic socio-ecological systems’ is the sustainable livelihoods approach. In approaching a rural, regional or remote community, social workers are called on to have a broad analysis of the historical, social, economic, ecological and political background of a specific place. Fly-in/fly-out health, recreation and social work services were evident.