Experiences of Social Workers and Educators Working with a Minority Immigrant Group: The Case of Ethiopian Jews in Israel

This present qualitative study focused on the professional experiences of social workers and educators working with Ethiopian children in Israel, through the lens of anti-oppressive theory. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 53 social workers and educators, who work with families and children of Ethiopian origin. A thematic analysis approach was used. Data analysis revealed that social workers and educators experienced a discrepancy between government program aims and the Ethiopian community’s needs. At the same time, these themes highlighted an emerging stereotype about the community, suggesting that long-term efforts to drive change have been unsuccessful. Our findings also reveal that the participants felt that children, specifically, were being both economically and sexually exploited, with little or no attention paid to preventing this exploitation. Applying the framework of anti-oppressive practice, social workers and educators should be educated about the social and political context of their clients’ lived experiences and acknowledge the often-unequal power relations that occur.