Involvement of Minority Social Workers in Policy Practice: Frontline Managers’ Discretion

In multicultural societies, social workers from diverse groups, including ethnic minority groups, may be engaged in policy practice. Their involvement is emphasised as important and essential to reducing gaps between the majority and the minority. Frontline managers may play a crucial role in legitimising minority social workers to act in policy arenas through forging the organisational culture. Their discretion of involvement can be influenced by institutional opportunities. Interviews with frontline managers in Arab localities in Israel reveal that institutional rules—in the contexts of local government, state and culture largely shape the perceptions of managers as well as the practices and processes in organisations regarding involvement of minority social workers in policy arenas.