“Confused, alienated, and injured identity”: The role of minority ethnic identity in increasing the vulnerability of at-risk young-adult Arabs in Israel

In this exploratory study, we aimed to investigate the role of minority identity in the experiences of at-risk young-adult Arabs, through the perspectives of professionals throughout Israel who treat them. Earlier studies have suggested that young-adult Arabs may be particularly preoccupied with their self-identity as a minority group, the political circumstances surrounding them, and feelings of discrimination. These aspects may prevent them from exploring options for themselves or pursuing goals. However, the question of how at-risk young-adult Arabs’ sense of identity is related to risk has not yet been explored. Thirty-nine social service providers were interviewed in depth regarding their perspectives toward sense of identity as it relates to at-risk young-adult Arabs. The findings showed that Arab identity was repeatedly emphasized as being related to risk, in different ways. Specifically, three profiles of challenges to identity emerged: confused identity, alienated identity, and injured identity. Against this backdrop, we discuss the connections between minority identity coherence, worth, and risk, and propose a minority identity-informed approach to social work in an ethnonational context. Implications for practice include how social workers can provide antioppressive care using a context-informed Freirean approach.