Dilemmas faced by social workers while working with Ethiopian families in Israel: A qualitative research study

Social workers play a vital role in helping immigrants integrate into a new society by providing needed advocacy and support networks. However, conflicts arise when there is a cultural gap between social workers who have undergone Western professional socialisation and immigrants from non-westernised countries and a perception gap for those social workers serving immigrants from the same cultural background. This qualitative study aimed to (1) identify dilemmas faced by social workers when providing services to Jewish Ethiopian immigrants and (2) explore the inherent dilemmas faced by social workers when serving individuals from the same cultural background. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 30 Ethiopian and non-Ethiopian social workers working with the Ethiopian community in Israel. A thematic analysis identified three themes (1) Cultural misunderstandings; (2) Professional and personal boundary blurring (3) Uneven allocation of resources and power. Given the complexity of the situation and the multiple challenges social workers face when working with immigrant populations, we suggest policy and educational changes to facilitate more effective client care, while empowering social workers to engage in the true work and encouraging self-reflection and awareness of their own cultural biases and values.