Arab minority social work students face challenges in Jewish practicum settings

Abstract

This article investigates the challenges faced by Palestinian minority social work students in Jewish practicum settings and the coping strategies they employ for those challenges. Qualitative research derived data from in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 Palestinian students. Two main challenges were described: (1) insensitivity to the students’ linguistic uniqueness/difference that alienated them from Jewish professional and administrative staff (accusing them of having difficulties with Hebrew and limiting their use of Arabic), hostility to their national uniqueness, opacity concerning their religious difference, and contempt for their different culture; and (2) Palestinian students are burdened with tasks beyond their academic duties, as they are required to juggle many roles, such as caregiver, interpreter and ‘culture broker’, and are required to organise bilingual community events. The interviewees developed five coping strategies: soul-searching/introspection mixed with self-blame; conscious self-censorship; mobilising a coalition for outspoken criticism; demanding change from within the service; and applying a change process.

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