The struggles of Arab social workers in Israel: professional success among minority group social workers

Abstract

ABSTRACT The article investigates the scope, motivations, considerations for, and implications of minority group social workers’ professional success. Data was collected with primary and secondary documents and in-depth semi-structured interviews with 21 Arab welfare bureaus managers in Israel. The message of “success” has almost disappeared from the relevant formal institutions. One nonprofit organization provides a role model of “learning from successes” for Arab social workers, focusing on multi-disciplinary projects. All the Arab bureaus consciously encourage the success of intervention projects acting out of four main motivations: cost-benefit considerations, publicity, covert challenge to the establishment and coping with internal and external challenges.