Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare PDF

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare
Volume 15
Issue 2 June Article 11
May 1988
An Ecological Approach for Social Work Practice
John T. Pardeck
Southeast Missouri State University
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Recommended Citation
Pardeck, John T. (1988) "An Ecological Approach for Social Work Practice," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 15 : Iss. 2 ,
Article 11.
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol15/iss2/11

An Ecological Approach
for Social Work Practice
JOHN T. PARDECK
Southeast Missouri State University
Social Work Program
The ecological approach offers a comprehensive theoretical base that
social practitionerscan draw upon for effective social treatment. The
critical concepts of the ecological approach are presented. It is sug-
gested that the ecologicalperspective can be a useful treatment strategy
for improving the socialfunctioning of the client system.
The earliest pioneers in the field of social work such as Mary
Richmond realized the role that environment plays in the social
functioning of human beings. Consequently, in the early 1970s
when social work theorists began stressing the importance of
the person-in-environment perspective, little was actually being
added to the traditional social work knowledge base. However,
during this period, writers such as Germain (1973) and Hartman
(1976) through the person-in-environment perspective devel-
oped the groundwork for the ecological approach currently being
stressed in the field of social work. Even though a number of
significant gains were made by these writers, their early contri-
butions to the ecological theoretical approach had a number of
limitations. In particular, they did not clearly define procedures
for implementing the ecological approach in assessment and
treatment of client problems. Furthermore, the ecological theory
that emerged from these theorists was not well conceptualized
and had other notable limitations similar to those found with
the social systems theory perspective.
However, what was offered by the early ecological theorists,
notably Germain, was the groundwork for a new way of viewing
social work practice. Her emphasis on the importance of the
adaptive balance between organism and environment, referred
to as a "goodness-of-fit" between the two, offered a novel way
of viewing the relationship of the person to the environment.

Journalof Sociology & Social Welfare
She suggested if there is a "misfit" between the client system
and the environment, social treatment should be aimed at cor-
recting this condition. This critical insight set the stage for the
development of the ecological perspective currently being used
within the field of social work.
The Ecological Perspective
The ecological approach that has emerged from the early
works of Germain (1973) and others (Barker, 1973; Grinnell,
1973; Hartman, 1976) offers a rich theoretical base which prac-
titioners can translate into effective social work practice. Pres-
ently, the ecological approach provides strategies that allow the
social worker to move from a micro level of intervention to a
macro level of social treatment. The ecological perspective not
only helps the social worker impact a client system through pol-
icy and planning activities but also through psychotherapy and
other micro level approaches. Thus, direct and indirect practice
strategies for intervention can be combined into a congruent
practice orientation when working with a client system through
the ecological approach.
The present thinking on the ecological approach suggests
that the primary premise explaining human problems is derived
from the complex interplay of psychological, social, economic,
political and physical forces. Such a framework accords due rec-
ognition to the transactional relationship between environmen-
tal conditions and the human condition. This perspective allows
the practitioner to effectively treat problems and needs of various
systemic levels including the individual, family, the small group,
and the larger community. In essence, the practitioner can easily
shift from a clinical role to a policy and planning role within the
board framework of the ecological approach.
Presently, six distinct professional roles have evolved from
the ecological framework. These roles have also been identified
as an intricate part of advanced generalist practice by a number
of writers (Anderson, 1981; Hernandez, Jorgensen, Judd, Gould,
and Parsons, 1985). These six professional roles allow the prac-
titioner to work effectively with five basic dient systems-the
individual, the family, the small group, the organization, and
the community. The six professional roles are defined as follows:

Ecological Approach
1) Conferee: Derived from the idea of conference, this role
focuses on actions that are taken when the practitioner serves as
the primary source of assistance to the client in problem solving.
2) Enabler: The enabler role focuses on actions taken when
the practitioner structures, arranges, and manipulates events,
interactions, and environmental variables to facilitate and en-
hance system functioning.
3) Broker: This role is defined as actions taken when the
practitioner's object is to link the consumer with goods and serv-
ices or to control the quality of those goods and services.
4) Mediator: This role focuses on actions taken when the
practitioner's objective is to reconcile opposing or disparate points
of view and to bring the contestants together in united action.
5) Advocate: This role is defined as actions taken when the
practitioner secures services or resources on behalf of the client
in the face of identified resistance or develops resources or serv-
ices in cases where they are inadequate or non-existent.
6) Guardian:The role of guardian is defined as actions taken
when the practitioner performs in a social control function or
takes protective action when the client's competency level is
deemed inadequate.
Obviously there is a blurring of roles when a practitioner
uses an ecological approach to practice. For example, the roles
of conferee and enabler at times are difficult to separate. When
practitioners implement the broker role, they also may find
themselves enabling and advocating. The complementarity
among the above roles should be noted, and the fact that they
have a tendency to cluster rather than to remain distinct. This
approach is a significant departure from the traditional methods
(Casework, Groupwork, and Community Practice) utilized in
practice, as the ecological approach results in a dynamic inte-
gration of practice roles. Along with these integrative practice
roles, three concepts have evolved that serve as an organizing
theme for the ecological approach; these are the behavioral set-
ting, ecosystem, and transaction.
Behavioral setting
An important study conducted by Barker and Gump (1964)
provides excellent insight into the concept of the behavioral set-