What the Bees Can Teach Us

This podcast can be used for teachings in eco-social work; giving voice to the-more-than-human; socio economic models and interventions; community work, storytelling, and inclusion of indigenous wisdom. As the podcast explicitly makes use of the VISION method to give voice to the more-than-human (bees), it also works well in teachings about dialogue, critical empowerment, advocacy, values, and VISION. If used as teaching material in a specific class about VISION and/or eco-social work, we suggest using the podcast in combination with chapter 2 in The VISION Handbook. Valuebased Reflections for a Sustainable Furture in Education and Advocacy (2026). The podcast gives a thorough introduction to the concept and value of care. Thus, training the VISION method using the speaking card: Questions for a VISION dialogue (appendix B in VISION Handbook) using the value 'care' is an option.  

FOR TEACHERS: LEARNING OBJECTIVES

The students achieve knowledge of:

  • Regenerative urban development.
  • Notions of community, sense of belonging, and reciprocity.

The students achieve the skills to:

  • Consider the relevance of including historical/indigenous wisdom, tradition, and knowledge in contemporary social interventions.

The students achieve competences to:

  • Use their knowledge to apply a community and/or socio economical approach to promote the rights and dignity of precarious urban populations.
  • Reflect on the ways in which social works can contribute to promoting sustainable solutions in urban development.
  • Reflect on the role of more-than-human voices and needs in community work.

FOR STUDENTS: DISCUSSION POINTS AND QUESTIONS:

  • Make a list of the different values you consider central to the perception of community in the podcast. Discuss how these values are related to the The Global Agenda for Social Work & Social Development Framework for 2020-2030 under the headline “Co-building Inclusive Social Transformation.“ You can find information about the global agenda here: https://www.ifsw.org/social-work-action/the-global-agenda/
  • Based on your knowledge about eco-social work and/or sustainability, discuss the future need of including the more-than-human voices in community work.
  • Imagine that a social worker was employed by an organization like Bybi, how would you characterize the role of social workers in an organization like this? What would be necessary knowledge, skills and competences for a social worker working in Bybi?