Client Acculturation, Social Worker Group Belonging, and Social Work Service Use: A Multigroup Study of Minority Populations in Israel

This study examines social work with minorities from the client’s perspective, investigating factors that affect contacting social workers by members of different minority groups and their satisfaction from the contact. The study was conducted in Israel and used representative samples from the three largest minority groups in the country: Palestinian Israelis (n = 631), immigrants from the former Soviet Union (FSU; n = 848), and ultra-Orthodox Jews (n = 940). A larger proportion of immigrants from the FSU and Palestinian Israelis had contact with social workers compared with the majority population, while ultra-Orthodox Jews did not differ from the majority. Stronger adherence to the majority cultural practices was associated with more contact with social workers among FSU immigrants and ultra-Orthodox Jews, but not among Palestinian Israelis. Satisfaction from contact with social workers was lower in all minority groups than in the majority population. Stronger adherence to the majority cultural practices was associated with higher satisfaction from contact with social workers in all groups. Among Palestinian Israelis, stronger adherence to minority cultural practices also contributed to the satisfaction from contact with social workers. The social worker’s belonging to the client’s minority group was associated with higher client satisfaction in all groups. The applications of the study results to social work research and practice are discussed.