Belonging versus alienation among at-risk minority adults: The perspectives of social service providers of at-risk young adult Arabs in Israel

The aim of the study was to promote a context-based understanding of risk situations in the lives of young-adult Arabs, based on the perception of social service providers. The literature has addressed structural risk situations in terms of discrimination, social exclusion and unemployment. However, little is known about how these risk situations affect young adult Arabs’ identity during emerging adulthood. Thirty-nine social services providers were interviewed in depth regarding their perspective of at-risk young adult Arabs in Israel. Analysis of the results yielded three main themes; the most prevalent theme discussed by all participants was belonging versus alienation as a key to risk states. This theme threads through two other dominant themes of socio-political factors and sociocultural risk factors. Our findings shed light on Yuval-Davis’s framing of social and political belonging. We recommend that a new approach of critical social work be crafted that centers discussion of the socio-political and structural risk situations, and that positive socio-cultural aspects can be promoted to carve out places of belonging for at-risk young-adult Arabs. Accordingly, professionals are advised to recognize the transition to adulthood among minority youths in their context of marginal locations that take into account their challenges and risks.