Introduction
Resilience is the base on which social work operates, allowing people and families to restore their lives after facing a challenge (American Psychiatric Association, n.d.). Today, the social work field is experiencing a deficit-oriented practice as the most powerful. And that is why the role of building resilience must be considered. This essay focuses on an explorative study of resilience in Arab-American families, revealing the interconnecting web of risk and protective factors at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Through the narrative, the author also shows that these families are facing challenges and bringing to the notice of the social workers the role they play in strengthening their resilience. This essay proposes an exploration that will be facilitated by presenting three key questions and statements that social workers must ask themselves and utilize in their decision-making process to ascertain and capitalize on resilience factors.
Selected Population: Arab-American Families
Arab-American families face different challenges in which cultural identity, discrimination, and acculturation are the main factors. The intimate dance between holding on to cultural heritage and merging yourself into the diverse community leads to an ongoing struggle. Cultural identity, a protective factor and a catalyst of stress is a challenge to manage, as dual identities and societal expectations are complex. Discrimination, which is caused by stereotypes, exacerbates stressors and has consequences on the well-being of people. Acculturation brings extra work as families try to simultaneously stick to their culture and society’s standard practices. Awareness of the challenges is the critical component of working with society. This paper focuses on micro, mezzo, and macro-level factors determining resilience in Arab-American families and how social work can be practiced effectively in such a context.
Risk Factors and Traits
Micro Level: On the individual side, Arab American families are faced with racism and cultural identity conflicts, as described by Abu-Ras and Azhar (2020). The economic gap and the absence of resource availability for the family members are additional factors contributing to the stress that the family members are experiencing.
Mezzo Level: At the social level, the stigmatization and stereotyping of Arab-American community members emerge as stressors that may hinder the maintenance of strong family ties. Lack of community support and poor awareness of the availability of resources may only make the challenges harder for social workers to address at the mezzo level.
Macro Level: The macro-level policies and geopolitical tensions may create an unfriendly external situation. The impact of such external forces may be very significant on the overall resilience of Arab-American families, which gives more importance to considering broader systemic factors in social work interventions focused on resilience building and sustaining in these communities.
Protective Factors and Traits
Micro Level: From the micro aspect, the culture being saved and showcased is more important as a protective factor. Furthermore, the mental health support and educational opportunities that a community of resilience provides play a significant role in the development of individuals within these communities. This is evidenced by the work of Abu-Ras and Azhar (2020).
Mezzo Level: Family unity is a critical factor in the Arab American community as a primary protective variable ensuring a robust family support system. Cultural awareness and advocacy combined with resilience building at the mezzo level are the main aspects seen as society’s most critical interrelated features.
Macro Level: Implementing pro-inclusion policies and anti-discrimination laws on the macro level can give Arab American families a more welcoming and favorable external environment. Media representation is one of the most critical factors affecting perceptions and feelings of belonging. This extension of the direct effects leads to the improvement of the broader society. In social work, identifying and reinforcing these shielding factors become vital to building the resilience of Arab-American families at all levels.
Social Worker’s Role
The social worker will be vital in evaluating and developing resilience in Arab-American families. A social work professional recognizes the fundamental strengths of individuals, families, and their communities to lay the groundwork for the interventions that will help them. The role of social workers is not limited to recognizing the problem; instead, social workers are active agents for positive changes and adopting protective factors to build robust resilience among Arab American families. Culturally and knowledgeable social workers become effective in this empowerment process that assists families in conquering difficulties and being victorious amid stressors. The gentle focus of the social workers on the intricacy and the particular features of the Arab-American communities is the golden key to creating a healthful base for them.
Three Questions and Statements
- “Are there any instances where your cultural identity was a great source of strength when you faced difficult times?” This question will clearly show the strength and greatness of cultural identity.
- “What are the family traditions that have been used to respond to stress, and how are there cultural practices that have enabled you to deal with difficult situations?” This line of inquiry goes into the family-level coping strategies to acknowledge the existing strengths in the family context.
- “Does your community have services or events that have how you are included and supported?” This statement emphasizes the external support network a person may have to grow resilient.
Conclusion
Understanding and motivating resilience in Arab-American families requires a multilevel assessment that includes micro, meso, and macro-level factors (Greene & Dubus, 2017). As their primary role, social workers can strengthen these families by noticing and effectively using the strengths already available. The social workers should, however, adopt a strength-based and trauma-informed approach so that it can serve the Arab-American families best because the approach is sensitive enough to the vulnerable experiences in the Arab-American community. Through this approach, social workers can deal with cultural identity, discrimination, and acculturation issues with great diligence, thus building a robust platform that withstands adversities in the long run. The big picture of these interventions shows how they can help the communities as a whole, aside from the individual’s well-being. With the help of their experience and dedication, social workers take the role of advocates for the change that will make the lives of Arab-American families better, and they will always be resilient and shape their own stories.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (n.d.). Resilience. Retrieved from [APA Website Link]
Abu-Ras, W., & Azhar, S. (2020). Practice with Arab-American families.
- P. Congress & M. J. González (Eds.), Multicultural perspectives in working with families (4th ed., pp. 227-249). Springer. doi:10.1891/9780826154156.0015
Greene, R., & Dubus, N. (2017). Resilience in action: An information and practice guide. NASW Press.
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