Social work in Israel: professional characteristics in an international comparative perspective

Abstract

This article employs a comparative framework in the analysis of the professional characteristics of social work in Israel. Using the attributes and the power approaches to professions, Israeli social work is analysed according to eight variables: a protected ‘trademark’, monopoly over social care and delivery of services within state welfare systems, occupational autonomy, length of training and control over training, internal differentiation by levels of expertise and competence, professional organisation, a sanction‐backed code of ethics, and material and symbolic rewards. The analysis reveals that Israeli social work has undergone an extensive professionalisation process and that it has characteristics that are not common in other countries. Initial explanations for this process are offered and discussed.

Social policy formulation and the role of professionals: the involvement of social workers in parliamentary committees in Israel

“…First introduced in the early twentieth century, social work has since undergone a constant process of professionalisation. It currently enjoys a more solid professional status than that in many other countries (Weiss et al 2004). The occupation has received public recognition as a unique profession and 'social work' has become a protected trademark.…”

The professionalisation of social work: a cross‐national exploration

“…This illustrates the boundary issues all professions have to manage, following the 'power' analysis of the professions, discussed further below. Although the absence of a monopoly is common to all the countries in our study, other research shows that this is not necessarily or universally the case (Weiss et al, 2004).…”

“…The internal and external power of the social work profession are likely to be related; it would seem that a cohesive and well-established organisation is likely to be an asset for the profession in attaining more of those features that reflect external power (see also Weiss et al, 2004). However, the internal power of social work is not the sole factor in its ability to establish itself as an externally validated profession.…”

“…Ever since Abraham Flexner declared in 1915 that social work is not a profession (Flexner, 1915(Flexner, /2001, it has striven to adopt features that have been identified as characteristic of fully fledged professions (Austin, 1983;Hopps & Collins, 1995). Despite the longstanding and unresolved debate concerning the impact and value of this 'professional project' (Bamford, 1990;Illich, 1977;Reisch & Andrews, 2001;Simpkin, 1979;Walker & Beaumont, 1981), the drive to professionalism seems to be strong in many countries today (Healy & Meagher, 2004;Weiss et al, 2004).…”

Teacher, Researcher and … Policy Actor? Social Work Academics’ Involvement in Social Policy

“…The site of the study was Israel, where social work is a well-established profession that has been fully integrated into academia for almost six decades and enjoys, in cross-national comparative terms, high professional status (Weiss et al 2004). Moreover, training for policy involvement has become more prominent in the social work teaching curriculum in Israeli schools of social work over the last decade (Kaufman 2011;Weiss-Gal 2013).…”