נקודת המבט של עובדות סוציאליות במחלקות לשירותים חברתיים המטפלות בגברים ערבים-פלסטינים החיים בעוני: חשיבות הקשר, אתגרים ופרקטיקות מקצועיות

Background: This article deals with the perspectives of social workers in social service departments on their practice with Arab-Palestinian men living in poverty. The article is based on social construction theory and the concept of intersectionality. Aim: To examine the perspectives of social workers regarding the importance of working with Arab-Palestinian men, the challenges they confront, and the practices they employ. Method: Thematic analysis of 51 semi-structured interviews with professionals from five social services departments. The specific departments were chosen to reflect the ethnic, religious, and geographical heterogeneity of Arab-Palestinian society. Findings: The social workers see their work with men as very important. Although the social workers are members of Arab society, they feel alienated and detached from male service users who exhibit patriarchal attitudes and behaviors. They cope with this and other challenges through various practices of two types: proactive practices, which are used to establish initial connections and relationships with men; and what we call ”bargaining with the patriarchy,“ which is used to achieve therapeutic change. Conclusions and Implications: The social workers’ practices are an indication of their role as agents of gender and social change. We suggest understanding the patriarchal behavior and attitudes among Arab-Palestinian men living in poverty as a product of their intersected marginality in terms of economic-social-cultural and political positions. The article presents a rich and variegated repertoire of social work interventions with Arab-Palestinian men and offers directions for future social work education that is based on the concept of intersectionality.