Culturally Sensitive Supervision of Arab Social Work Students in Western Universities

Abstract

Despite increasing recognition of the social work profession in many Arab societies over the past three decades, training of social workers in Arab universities is still based largely on knowledge and values developed in Western, Euro-American, and postindustrial societies. Although some of the knowledge base of social work may be of universal relevance, Arab societies clearly have unique cultural, economic, religious, and political characteristics that distinguish them from Western, postindustrial societies. These distinctive characteristics justify the development of specific knowledge pertaining to the context of social work education and practice in Arab society and culture. The importance of such knowledge is underscored by the growing number of Arab social workers trained in Western universities (for example, in North America, Western Europe, Australia, and Israel), the majority of whom return to their communities of origin after receiving their degrees. Given the differences between Arab and Western societies, it can be assumed that the educational and cognitive processes encountered by Arab students in Western universities cause them to question the significance of the knowledge they acquire and its relevance to social work practice in their societies of origin. These questions may arouse resistance toward the academic program and the profession, including personal conflicts (emotional and cognitive), anger about the content, and even anger toward their educators (lecturers and field work supervisors). Other Arab social work students begin to identify with the profession as it is taught in the West and internalize and accept the material and believe in its relevance to social work in their societies of origin; in this case, it is likely that conflicts will arise before or when the students return to their community of origin. Clearly, the theoretical material taught at schools of social work in Western societies is intended to be of universal relevance, although it is not always easy to adapt the material to the specific situation of students from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. A system of field work training and supervision is needed that takes into account the unique personal, professional, and cultural needs of these students without dismissing the vital importance of the universal training. This article discusses the central role of field work training in developing the professional identity of Arab social work students at Western universities. Arab students are raised with cultural values and perspectives that are alien not only to Western society, but also to some principles and values of the social work profession. The cultural background and value conflicts of these students can be best addressed in a field work training program that incorporates culturally sensitive supervision and universal content. This kind of program may help students master the profession and develop a professional identity and may facilitate their return to their communities of origin at the end of their course of study. The article explores some of the cultural values that typify Arab societies and examines how they contradict Western values. In addition, the article addresses the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral implications of these value contradictions for supervision of Arab social work students in Western universities. Stressing the need for cultural sensitivity in supervision of Arab students is not intended to give short shrift to the other conceptual components, functions, and tasks of the supervision process. Rather, this article highlights the significance of the field work supervisor as an agent of professional socialization and suggests that supervisors working with Arab students can understand the unique cultural values of Arab societies and how these values shape the student's professional identity. Review of Cultural Values Prevailing in Arab Societies The system of values in Arab societies has been subject to dynamic development and transformation due to various internal and external forces (Barakat, 1985). …