Social Work Futures

Recent Ideas from Twitter – Social Work Futures – July 30, 2019

Welcome to Summer!

After a brief hiatus involving changing jobs (hello sabbatical!) and changing houses after 20 years (hello new house!), I’m back to share some futures items I thought were noteworthy from the past month – regarding topics I find important in my focus on the future of social welfare, higher education, the arts and more!

Afrofuturism on the Rise

Inspiring new piece from the Guardian in the UK, about the increasing attention and accolades afforded to Afrofuturism globally. Super place to get some good ideas for new reads before summer is done!

Future of Higher Education

Amazon has announced that it is getting into the training business with some serious dollars invested in this quest. This is a short piece that lays out what is involved and the scope of their aspiration. While there are many corporate partnerships with higher education successfully operating, some express concern that this bypassing of universities altogether could be an emerging trend. What is the “purpose” of higher education beyond preparing folks to participate in the workforce? What is the difference between education and training? What is a future where folks are continuously trained but not educated? What happens to the idea of academic freedom, open inquiry, challenging multiple points of view or politically unpopular perspectives in such a scenario? These are some of the questions that such movement inspires.

This recent piece from the Chronicle of Higher Education highlights a long-discussed but recently amplified case for free higher education nationally. It challenges faculty and administrators to be more vocal advocates.

New to me but active for years is Bryan Alexander’s robust website on the future of higher education. He describes it as “an ongoing, participatory, and open video conversation about the future of higher education.” So many good things here with representatives from a wide expanse of our sector. One can spend a nice long while exploring – and with good results! Particularly good segment here on the future of academic freedom. Check it out.

Good short piece on Washington state’s new plans to make college education free for all.

Future of Mental Health and Social Welfare

Responding to challenges from its members, Pinterest (and numerous prestigious partners) recently launched a new service through its webpage to help users find resources to manage stress and anxiety. Interesting spin on “go where the people are” kind of approach rather than starting freestanding apps or services. Worth a look.

Going digital to improve addiction recovery rates is the focus of this article challenging the addiction intervention and treatment fields to seek out, experiment with and use new approaches to supporting those suffering. Here’s another brief article that suggests a new generation of digital tools to respond to mental health needs of the world’s populations is coming and needed. The name of the report’s author is the Global Council of Future Neurotechnologies – which in and of itself should awaken our sensibilities, our ethics and our sense of inquiry into a rapidly expanding set of options that will be increasingly part of our mental health toolkit. Are we ready? Other authors explore the future of the mental health sector (neurotechnology figuring prominently) here, here and here. Finally, even the National Institute of Mental Health is increasingly focused on a futures lens.

Sobering story on the coming climate change-related migration – and the ways in which social welfare will be impacted (negatively). This piece suggests that the rich will be able to escape the impacts of climate change at even higher rates than has been the case, and that the poor will not. How can human rights protections evolve to address this concern? Urgent for us all to consider.

Race and Tech

Excellent article (and related paper) on advancing racial literacy in tech. There is also a recording of a related talk given on this topic here.

Futures/Foresight Lens

Fun article about why thinking of “crazy-sounding scenarios” about the future is smart and increasingly more popular all the time. Classic futures information!Powerful and well-written piece regarding the role and responsibilities of the entire futures field to tackle global inequities as part of its moral responsibilities. This line inspires me: “We have an opportunity to re-imagine human and planetary flourishing in the 21st century, and to achieve this, we need radical hope and inclusive progress.” Thank you author Aarathi Krishnan.

Data and Privacy

Quite interesting to read the UK’s recently released guidelines for “Data Protection Regulation” and imagine what it would look like if all countries operated openly, transparently with these such guidelines. Many countries are wrestling with this issue.

Government and “Technocracy”

What is the future of citizenship? What if membership in a virtual community connected with issues such as sovereignty? This article explores these and other complex, fascinating and slightly unnerving dimensions to these kinds of questions.

Recent Ideas from Twitter – Social Work Futures – June 12, 2019

Technology is Coming!

Some futurists got together and put a very visually satisfying “periodic table of mind-blowing tech” together. It is quite a fun rabbit hole of a site with endless opportunities to explore the tech that is coming!

This article challenges quite a lot of dominant discourse that “the robots are coming for your job” with more of a harsh economic analysis. These authors describe that the bigger driving force is increasing management indifference to the need to retain good jobs and maximize profits at any cost.

On that note, another recent article describes the uptick in a new type of management position – “the chief ethics officer” appearing with more frequency in corporate life.

Climate Change

Last week, I put a whole blog post together about climate change related mental health issues and environmental justice.

This week, NPR released a story talking about increasing recognition of the negative aspects of climate change – brought on by increasing flooding in many regions of the United States.

This article describes climate change as our “World War 3” and challenges bolder solutions. It’s a powerful piece. Another article I ran across discusses that “climate refugees” will be among the most powerful results of impending climate change – and suggests that not enough preparation is occurring to manage this eventuality.

Beautiful story about “planting trees as resistance and empowerment.” This article is empowering, energizing and hopeful. How much difference can individual people working together make to tackle climate change? This article will inspire you!!

Social Change Touchpoints

I’ve spoken previously in this blog about the power and importance of caring for each other and ourselves to survive the challenges associated with working for a better future. I even did a whole blog post about this. Along these lines, I ran across this recent article that underscores, expresses deep value and even celebrates the many roles and positions that “social change” actors may embrace. From “the artist,” to “disruptors” to “caregivers” and more, I found this piece energizing and affirming. It takes MANY people working intersectionally to bring the change we want and need.

The Human Population

Many discussions of the future directly or indirectly implicate the number of people on the planet as a major factor in global evolution. This eye-popping series of infograpics really brings a sense of dynamism and power to global population realities now. How will this distribution of humans change, influence and drive future innovation, focus, political changes and a host of other global issues? Take a look and imagine!

Artificial Intelligence and Bias

Here’s a new article (and report) about “bias” in artificial intelligence is really about human bias “baked into” algorithms and processes. This report further underscores the need for creators and coders of the future need to be grounded in some of the same lenses, skills and ethics that social work is built on. Equity principles and skills matter – in artificial intelligence spaces and everywhere else.

Bio-Tech Ethics

I ran across two different articles recently about the bioethics issues associated with our increasing capability to “gene edit” humans. Each raises a host of bioethics issues that arise as we clearly stand upon the precipice of a new scientific era that our ethics have not caught up to.

These stories make me wonder how long it will be before adoption and/or medical social workers will find themselves in situations that include some of these dynamics – and if we will be ready when that happens? Where will we stand? How will we advise? How will we draw the line between ethical and unethical practice in the midst of such rapid evolution in this technology?

Want to Go to the International Space Station on Vacation?

You might be able to do that soon. Fun and interesting story about that went by this week!

The Future of Higher Education

Loved this new article called “the rise of the anti-college.” It points to a number of needs that continue to go unmet in the mainstream higher education world. I think this piece includes some important signals about what the future to our sector.

Several financial innovations were discussed in this recent Freakonomics podcast episode all focused on how to reduce the cost of higher education.

Radical “live learn” spaces in higher education? Check it out.

This is a new(ish) article about Southern New Hampshire University’s notable efforts to reinvent the higher education experience for the future. What can we all learn from these efforts, and be brave as well as smart in trying to stretch into some new forms to accommodate student needs and communities of the future?

New Words in Futuring – Emerging Vocabulary for Social Workers #6

Words are fun aren’t they? You may recall that as I gather up some vocabulary that is new to me in my “futures” journeys…I put together a periodic post about them. (You can see the other posts along these lines here.) New ways of thinking involve new terms that stretch our sense of what is possible and introduces us to new ways to be in the world, take action, resist and function in all that is evolving. Here’s a new batch I’ve been gathering as I study!

Anthropocene – In short, it refers to a new era where humanity has impacted the earth’s storyline in an irreversible way. While it doesn’t suggest we are defeated…those who seek to name this “new” period in the earth’s life cycle, alert us to the very real risks and dangers this new phase involves.

Critical futures studies – Endeavors to reveal political and power relations embedded inside of futures studies. This type of futures inquiry involves deconstruction and unpacking of texts, meanings, and embedded or hidden control systems in terms of who “decides” what the future will be and who is silenced in that process.

Culture jamming – “Culture jamming is an intriguing form of political communication that has emerged in response to the commercial isolation of public life.”

De-Growth – contemporary movement initiated in Europe focused on anti-capitalist, anti-materialist and anti-development aspirations and vision.

Protopian Futures – Compared to utopian futures, which many suggest are too unattainable, protopian futures are gradually and incrementally getting better on purpose. Think of the word “prototype” – we try things and if they work we grow them. But we understand that not everything we try will work…and we have to make space for experimenting (ethically) with new possibilities.

Solastalgia – compared to “nostalgia,” or the longing for days gone by, solastalgia is a word that relates to the psychic pain associated with human realization (and to a certain extent feelings of helplessness) associated with climate change.

Techno-optimist – In spite of the many kinds of bad news about the state of the world and the risks of losing ourselves to technological troubles – there are those among us, who generally feel pretty positive about the likelihood of technology to do more good than harm. They do have some guidelines though! And guess what, some folks want you to know this isn’t really a good idea. Their perspectives are here.

Bonus: 17 Top Tech Buzzwords You Need to Know

12 New Tech Terms You Need to Know to Understand the Future

Climate Change, Environmental Justice and Mental Health: Social Work Essentials

In recent posts, I’ve shared a lot of explorations regarding futures topics that I think will be most meaningful for future-facing social workers including artificial intelligence ideas as they intersect with social work, algorithmic bias, transparency and justice, and mental health technology and ethics.

But of course no real exploration of futures topics most impacting the practice of social work in the years to come would be complete without a thorough look into current literature related to climate change.

Climate change as it relates to mental health and environmental justice are essential aspects of futures- and foresight-oriented social work practice. Social workers and social work education has long been committed to including this topic in our “canon” of focal areas, and issues of climate well-being are increasingly topics faced, discussed and included in social work practice and research. This effort has recently culminated in inclusion of climate change-anchored research and practice in the Grand Challenges for Social Work initiative. And yet, though we’d all agree this is an urgent and relevant issue…have we gone far enough to assure that climate change competencies become part of how we think, research, collaborate and practice? What might be involved in going even further to assure that social work maximizes our impact in this space?

One of my most central reference points in this area, has been the work of Dr. Robert Bullard, known as the “father of environmental justice.” I have had the pleasure of hearing him speak a few times. If you are not familiar with his work, I highly recommend a deep dive. You can start here. This link will take you to a long-form lecture that Dr. Bullard did recently.

These are sobering areas of study – yet in each area there is reason to hope. Against the odds, there are scholars, activists and communities who actively seek to redirect the climate change trajectory from one of destruction, to one of revitalization and healing using a wide variety of strategies and tactics. As is said frequently within the futures practice world – the future is open, not fixed – and what we do now still very much matters. No where is this more true than related to the issue of climate change.

Whether it’s helping to de-code and assist people in naming and surviving in the face of climate change, or putting new levels of energy to bear in reversing and/or stopping climate change, this is another particularly urgent area of deep learning and relevance for social workers who have an eye towards the future!

As is my practice, I organized recent literature on this topic. For those that might wish to join me on a quick tour of “what’s new” in these combined area of practice (climate change as it relates to mental health – and – environmental justice) – you can link to the annotated bibliography and sector scan here. It is always in development. My goal is to boost the degree to which social workers can benefit from the best emerging information available. Let’s put it to good use and protect each other and our planet!

Recent Ideas from Twitter – Social Work Futures – June 1, 2019

Technology Justice

New technology for social justice field scan published in 2018 called “More than code” by a coalition of organizations concerned with intersections of tech, equity and ethics. Excellent resource – good reading and important set of ideas and resources for us in social work.

Here’s a concise overview of the San Fransisco banning of facial recognition tech story (2019) in case you haven’t been tracking this news. This article believes it was the right thing to do and offers cogent defense of a world that suggests we are WAY better without this tech in place.

Artificial intelligence, work and the future of inequality is a piece that dives deeply into the intersection of these three issues. Imagining a world in which the meaning, availability and compensation for work is changing so dramatically should be something we are tracking in social work – potentially impacting many areas of our practice.

Ran across the work of Lorraine Chuen while scanning for data justice information. Her presentation indicates she’s a tech designer, researcher and writer in this space. She has some excellent information on the interplay of design thinking and tech justice. My favorite part of her presentation are some “design justice principles” which I have sensed are truly a missing piece in the design thinking frameworks I’ve seen increasingly being utilized in social work spaces. These include:

We use design to sustain, heal, and empower our communities, as well as to seek liberation from exploitative and oppressive systems.
We center the voices of those who are directly impacted by the outcomes of the design process.
We prioritize design’s impact on the community over the intentions of the designer.
We view change as emergent from an accountable, accessible, and collaborative process, rather than as a point at the end of a process.
We see the role of the designer as a facilitator rather than an expert.
We believe that everyone is an expert based on their own lived experience, and that we all have unique and brilliant contributions to bring to a design process.
We share design knowledge and tools with our communities.
We work towards sustainable, community-led and controlled outcomes.
We work towards non-exploitative solutions that reconnect us to the earth and each other.
Before seeking new design solutions, we look for what is already working at the community level. We honor and uplift traditional indigenous, and local knowledge and practices.

I ran across two different stories about international efforts to come together to establish guidelines for the future of AI. In one, a group of countries including the U.S. just came together to determine priorities and guidelines for the future deployment of artificial intelligence. This group did not include China. The announcement of these “democratic principles for AI” were announced at a recent meeting in Paris. Another such effort did include China and was organized by the World Economic Forum. Most interesting to compare the interpretation of both the challenges and the solutions of how to prepare for the challenges, dangers and opportunities AI will introduce into the world. This development reminds me of, but neither is nowhere near as wide reaching, as Amy Webb’s push for a global dialogue, structures and agreements in her book The Big Nine, which I reviewed earlier in this blog (and which I HIGHLY recommend).

Do we need a “tech diet?”

This is a fun and creative piece that is not wholly against tech – but does challenge the reader to be discriminating about what is happening when we engage – and continue to develop evolving and deepening “digital literacies for our own well being. I loved the format – most engaging. This is relevant not only to us – but challenges us to think about the role we might play in digital literacy/empowerment/agency with vulnerable people that we work with.

The future of health care

This piece is an excellent and thought provoking piece about trends related to the future of health care. As social workers – these are exciting frames to imagine what is possible in terms of delivering new tech and medical breakthroughs to reduce human suffering, and extend both the length and quality of human life. That said, I found myself wondering throughout the article (as often happens) how these advances will be distributed, who will have access to them and who will not, how privilege will play out? It doesn’t diminish the richness of the evolution of this science, but it does challenge us to keep an equal eye on ground level public health and improving conditions for those least likely to access high end breakthroughs.

The next big technology revolution (well one of them…)

I’m considering starting a regular feature on these blog entries called “OK this will just blow your mind.” This is a resource that is in that category. A former MIT president, Dr. Susan Hockfield (a neurobiologist) has a new book just out called “The Age of Living Machines.” She suggests that the next big revolution will be (and is) the convergence of machines and biological elements. Essentially technology built out biological parts. See what I mean – mind blowing! Many interesting applications that can improve the quality of human life – and probably put us at risk too. Hello ethics progress – I hope you’re coming along on this journey. Here’s an overview of her work and insight into her book. Interesting tidbit woven into this piece – the world’s energy needs are expected to double by the year 2050.

Futures Thinking Frameworks

Here’s an article that invites the reader to consider a framework called “critical uncertainties” to anticipate impacts of artificial intelligence in the future. The author describes this as a framework that “…allows us to consider a few plausible futures and become more resilient to the challenges they hold. It reduces the risk of blind spots and unwelcome surprises. It can also help us identify ways in which we can proactively shaping the future.” (Woeffray, 2019). I’m always interested in exploring new ways to think about things – and find that this ongoing scanning and consideration of ideas like this can be one of the most valuable parts of getting social work as a profession to simply “try out” some methods and frames that might stretch our sensibilities.

The Future of Higher Education: An open and evolving sector scan in 2019

Earlier in this blog, I noted the need for social work and social work educators to understand the past, present and future of higher education. My previous work included in this space was an indepth review of resources associated with the concept of neo-liberalism in higher education.

As a profession, new social workers and social work knowledge is produced in the academy. Our ethics and values dictate that this knowledge grows out of real world dynamics and partnerships in real communities. Social work knowledge has found its primary home in university and college spaces – and our “home” is undergoing some powerful evolution. Some of it is important and good – some of it is deeply challenging and concerning.

That said, there is a whole sector of futures practice that is focused on the future of higher education. Many challenge that it is in a particularly dynamic state of change, increasingly precarious, and at risk of growing instability as fiscal, legal, and labor issues continue to become more complex. Trend analysts describe plentiful signals regarding shifts in play and on the horizon – and most of these predict growing closures and/or mergers of colleges and universities. Change, they say, is coming.

I’ve been building this resource list for some time as I navigate my own futures journey. I have a particular affinity for emerging knowledge on the future of public higher education, and I’m not alone. If you haven’t become aware of it, there will be a national gathering this fall to explore the future of public higher education on the east coast.

THIS resource list is not specific to the public sector – it is a gathering of a broad array of items focused on both public and private higher education issues.

As with my other resource lists, this bibliography is ever in a state of evolution and revision. As is our strength as social workers – my aim is to prepare social work educator leaders to understand the deeply contextual nature of our work as generators, leaders and protectors of social work knowledge, emerging research and education.

If our goal is to thrive in the social work education practice environment of the future – we will need unprecidented levels of creativity, agility, collective intelligence and FORESIGHTFULNESS. We should resist the urge (and sometimes incentives) to compete, but rather seek pathways to elevate and collaborate for a greater good in the future of our knowledge and our professional workforce, even as we continue to innovate.

A special note, as I’ve mentioned elsewhere in this blog, I’d like to offer a reminder that this resource list is not, and is not intended to be, and indepth review of the literature. Rather, this is a horizon-based sector scan focused on relatively recent resources in the academic, practice, trade press, and popular press on the future of higher education. There are a couple of these that I find very valuable and may “agree” with in terms of my predispositions – others less so. The greater value is in scanning what is here and thinking through what these mentions reveal as a whole about what might be happening, what might be coming. Futures practice involves looking for and finding patterns that imply a trajectory we may yet have the power to influence.

To learn more, check out my bibliography/resource list called The Future of Higher Education – Selected New Resources here.

Mental Health Technology, Ethics and Related Issues for Social Work Practice: An Annotated Bibliography – with Melanie Sage!

Launched colorful powder, isolated on black background

Do you ever wonder to yourself about what social scientists, social workers, app developers, related professionals and researchers are exploring with regard to what is happening with mental health technology, and how ethics are playing out in their application to urgent mental health challenges in world? Melanie Sage and I have been thinking about this very thing – and we gathered up some of our resources to share them with you here.

Being future ready, means that we have a sense of how technology, ethics and the needs of the people we work with and for – intersect. Many people are doing work in this space. Let’s contribute, exchange ideas, debate and explore.

Do you have other favorites you might want to share with us? Please be in touch – the more we grow our shared capacity to learn, develop deeper capacity and spread the best use of ethical tech in mental health practice – the better for all!