‘Intertwined worlds’: How religion as a cultural system shapes social workers’ motivation for policy engagement

In an era of increasing social inequality, social workers are increasingly called upon to engage in policy shaping processes to advance social justice. In multicultural societies, this may include social workers whose cultural systems are often characterized by shared religious beliefs, values, and lifestyles. However, a significant knowledge gap exists regarding how these cultural systems influence social workers’ motivation for engagement in policy arenas. This article addresses this gap by conducting a qualitative study that included twenty-five in-depth interviews with religious social workers who were employed in public welfare agencies in localities with a large concentration of ultra-Orthodox communities in Israel. The research explores how their religious-cultural system influences their motivation for policy practice engagement, and it identifies ways that may increase this engagement. The findings reveal that cultural systems encompassing religious beliefs, cultural behaviours, and religious community affiliation shape social workers’ motivation regarding policy practice. Building on these insights, the study emphasizes that increasing engagement in policy practice in multicultural societies necessitates providing culturally contextualized knowledge, resources, and opportunities tailored to the unique backgrounds of social workers.