Social Work Education in the Context of Armed Political Conflict: An Israeli Perspective

In recent years, the role of social work in conflict-ridden areas has become a relevant issue in the professional discourse, both theoretically and practically. However, questions regarding social work education in the context of political conflict have remained mainly unanswered. In this paper, we present findings from a research project that examined social work education within institutions of higher education in the Israeli context of armed political conflict. In-depth interviews with twenty-five social work educators were conducted and analysed. Data analysis revealed four themes related to the influence of life in the shadow of protracted violent conflict on those engaged in education and training in social work. These are concerned with identifying the 'other', coping with the spectre of war, tension between the personal and the political, and attempts to extract the conflict from social work education. Along this line of thinking, we discuss 'silencing' as a major issue that shapes social work education in the context of armed political conflict, and conclude with practical guidelines.