Cultural Intervention Strategies Employed by Arab Social Workers in Israel: Identification and Conceptualisation

Zoabi, Khawla; Savaya, Riki

doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcr071

Cited by 15 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 27 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Arabs in Israel still live in a collectivist society (Azaiza, 2008; Dwairy, 2002; Sedikides & Brewer, 2015; Zoabi & Savaya, 2012, 2016). Whereas the societal norms among Israeli Arabs are collectivist in nature, it was found that the more educated the individuals, the higher the tendency to uphold Westernized attitudes and social norms (Abu-Rabia-Queder, 2008; Abu-Rabia-Queder & Weiner-Levy, 2008; Haj-Yhya, 2006; Lavee & Haj Yahia-Abu Ahmad, 2010; Weiner-Levy, 2006).…”

Section: The Social Context Of Doing Social Work In Arab Israeli Societymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Whereas the Arab society in Israel is mostly traditional and collectivistic, Arab social workers in Israel are being trained within the Israeli high education system that upholds westernized norms (Zoabi & Savaya, 2016). On the other hand, they are confronted with a dissonance between their learned values and the social expectations and norms of the population they serve (Zoabi & Savaya, 2012, 2016). Those expectations are based on the traditional values and norms, including gender roles of parents.…”

Section: The Social Context Of Doing Social Work In Arab Israeli Societymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In other words, parental efficacy is dependent on the cultural norms and therefore subjected to biases based on those norms. Second, because the required professional tools for formulating a professional opinion were developed in a modern, Western society, the extent of their fit to other cultural norms and values was not examined (Zoabi & Savaya, 2012, 2016). Hence, the opinion on this complicated issue might be influenced by the attitudes and personal characteristics of the professional, of the child who is the object of the decision in the case under discussion, and of the overall structure of the society.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Evaluating Child-Custody Recommendations of Israeli Arab Social Workers

Enosh

Nouman

Anabtawi

2016

Research on Social Work Practice

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objectives: To evaluate Israeli Arab social workers' custody recommendations, given the unique cultural context in which they operate. Methods: The current study used an experimental-design embedded within a survey. Data regarding custody recommendations were collected from 137 Israeli Arab social workers. Results: Israeli Arab social workers tend to adhere to traditional norms and prefer mother's custody (odds ratio [OR] ¼ 3.74; effect size [ES] ¼ 0.73) over father's (OR ¼ 0.05; ES ¼ À1.65) and joint custody (OR ¼ 0.19; ES ¼ À0.91). Contrary to the hypothesis, males were not associated with father's custody, but female gender increased the chances for mother's custody (OR ¼ 1.27; ES ¼ 0.13). Parents' education level increased the chances for joint-custody recommendation (OR ¼ 1.69; ES ¼ 0.29). Conclusion: Traditional social norms have an impact on the social worker's decision. The relationships between social workers' decision-making processes and their perception societal expectations and norms can be viewed from the perspectives of tacit knowledge, worker's reflexivity, and evidence-based practice. We emphasize the importance of developing and assimilating relevant organizational mechanisms, supervision, and teaching curricula.

show abstract

Section: The Social Context Of Doing Social Work In Arab Israeli Societymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Social Context Of Doing Social Work In Arab Israeli Societymentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Evaluating Child-Custody Recommendations of Israeli Arab Social Workers

Enosh

Nouman

Anabtawi

2016

Research on Social Work Practice

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Female participants also described increased comfort talking with others about stressors which led to improved social connectedness. It is well documented that a socially supportive environment and group connectedness contributes to positive mental health outcomes (Hale et al, 2005; Hamdan, 2009; Zoabi & Savaya, 2012). This is a notable theme, specifically among the Syrian women, reflecting the fact that many have experienced loss, death of family members, and destruction of social networks due to the conflict (Silove et al, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A qualitative study of a mental health awareness intervention for Jordanian and resettled Syrian refugees in host communities

Powell

Qushua

2022

Int J Soc Psychiatry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Mental health disorders significantly contribute to the global burden of disease, however, prevention and treatment programs are often inaccessible in low- and middle-income countries. Aims: The goal of this qualitative evaluation was to examine participants experiences of the healthy community clinic (HCC-MH), an integrated mental health awareness intervention delivered in primary care clinics to Jordanians and resettled Syrians in a border community in Jordan. Methods: Four focus group discussions (FGDs) with Jordanians and Syrians ( N = 21) who participated in the HCC-MH were conducted. FGDs examined knowledge, acceptability, and applicability of the intervention. Open coding and the constant comparison method were used to identify themes that emerged from the FGDs. Results: Six central themes emerged from the data including : (1) awareness; (2) behavior changes; (3) reduction in stigma; (4) connecting physical and mental health; (5) relationships; and (6) coping. Notably, female participants stated participation in the intervention fostered awareness of their own emotional needs, which led to positive lifestyle and behavior changes. Participants also described how the information provided in the intervention normalized emotional distress and aided understanding of the interconnection between physical and mental health. The amplification of healthy coping strategies to reduce stress and distress was also a prominent theme. Conclusions: Findings are discussed within the cultural and contextual setting of the study, and implications for mental health awareness interventions in complex settings are provided.

show abstract

“…Third, we seek preliminary evidence regarding the suitability of the research instrument for examining the perceptions of social workers from different cultures. This is because it is well documented that social workers' cultural backgrounds affect their perceptions of the causes, nature, and solutions of problems [62][63][64][65] as well as the techniques and strategies they use [66,67]. Hence, the study was conducted on social workers from two different countries and cultures: Israel and the USA.…”

Section: Research Goalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Empowerment Potential of Social Work Techniques among Practitioners in Israel and the USA

Zoabi¹,

Gal²

2020

Global Social Work - Cutting Edge Issues and Critical Reflections

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Even though empowerment is an intervention approach that occupies an important place in social work, social workers' perceptions of intervention techniques that may empower their clients have not been examined. This paper reports the findings of a pilot study on the perceptions of social workers regarding the empowerment potential of various intervention techniques. Data were collected on convenience samples of social workers in Israel and the USA. The findings indicate that the social workers in the two countries broadly agree on the high empowerment potential of techniques aimed at helping clients to change their behaviors so as to make their conduct more functional and to augment their control over their lives but have differing perceptions regarding the empowerment potential of other approaches, including therapeutic approaches, aspects of service delivery, and means of providing support. Further study is recommended to better understand the relationship between social workers' perceptions of the empowerment potential of different approaches and techniques and their cultural backgrounds.

show abstract

Cultural Intervention Strategies Employed by Arab Social Workers in Israel: Identification and Conceptualisation

Cited by 15 publications

References 27 publications

Evaluating Child-Custody Recommendations of Israeli Arab Social Workers

Evaluating Child-Custody Recommendations of Israeli Arab Social Workers

A qualitative study of a mental health awareness intervention for Jordanian and resettled Syrian refugees in host communities

Empowerment Potential of Social Work Techniques among Practitioners in Israel and the USA

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About