‘The World Is Very Competitive and Cruel, You Won’t Get Any Special Treatment’: Social Work and Youth Policy Discourses in the Neoliberal Era

Young people from ethnic minority groups are at the centre of public concern in modern societies. This article presents the findings of a qualitative study that critically examines the discourses of thirty-three social workers who work with young people of Ethiopian ethnic origin in Israel. The findings reveal three key discourses: the social inclusion discourse, the meritocracy discourse and the social conflict discourse. Alongside the dominance of conservative discourses and neoliberal perceptions of youth and sociocultural group relationships, the findings reveal the existence of a competing critical discourse. The discussion offers a critical and contextual analysis of the field of social work with youth as the basis for a renewed discussion of basic assumptions, values, professional role perceptions and work directions. It notes the critical models that recognise and oppose oppression as an alternative to policymaking, training and practice processes regarding young people from social minority groups.