Trace the development of social work practice in Middle East Countries.

Development of Social Work Practice in Middle East Countries: Social work profession in the Middle East was juxtaposed with the struggle for independence. The Middle East countries have been influenced by Northern social work model through two roots: (a) The social work training included Northern texts, theories and methods, and (b) Social work professionals as educators and practitioners in the region had studied in the North. Efforts are being made for ‘indigenization of social work’ and ‘Islamic reorientation of social work’ in these regions. The aim is to localize social work within Muslim communities.

Turkey: The present Turkey was formed on October 29, 1923. Earlier it was a part of the Ottoman Empire. In 1928, it declared itself a secular state. In 1934, women were given the right to vote and in 1946, it established a multi- party system of government.

 In 2001, its population was 66,493,970 and 99 per cent were Muslims, mostly Sunni.

Turkish is the official language of the country. Its adult literacy was 96.7 per cent. It has recorded infant mortality rate 47 deaths per 1,000 live births. In 2001, its life expectancy was 68.9 years for men and 73.7 years for women.

Turkey has a long history of social welfare services which were started by the Ottomans religious foundations. After independence, the government has taken over the social welfare services. The General Directorate of Social Services and Child Protection Agency is the largest social assistance organization of the country. It has present in 80 provinces. It provides welfare services to children, aged, disabled people, adolescents and families through different welfare schemes. 

In 1961, Social Service Academy was established to provide four years training at the undergraduate level. The need for social work education was felt to carry on abundance of social welfare activities after the United Nations Social Welfare Consultants conducted a meeting with the representatives of Turkey government and voluntary organizations in 1957. Members of the “Dutch Technical Aid Commission” and “Fulbright Commission” became advisors and teachers in the academy. 

In 1983, the Academy was merged with the Hacettepe University and it was renamed as “School of Social Work”. The School then offered master and doctorate programmes on social work for first time in Turkey. Since 2001, the four-year undergraduate course became five-year. In 2002, the Baskent University in Ankara started a Department of Social Work and offered five-year course. 

Turkey has a generalist approach towards this profession. It looks at human and society problems holistically and systematically. The students who complete their social work education from Hacettepe University and Baskent University are absorbed by the government in various ministries, universities and NGOs. 

Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia is considered as the birthplace of Islam. The country is run as per the Shari’ah law of Islam. Its population in 2001 was 22,757,092. All the locals are Muslims. Arabic is the national language. In 2001, its adult literacy was 94 per cent, life expectancy 66 years for men and 70 years for women and infant mortality rate was 51 deaths per 1,000 live births. Saudi Arabia is the largest exporter of petroleum and has the highest reserves of petroleum worldwide. Thus, it is a leading country in Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). 

Saudi Arabia culturally is highly conservative. Men and women are segregated in work place and in functions. Local women in Saudi Arabia are uneducated and they also do not have basic human rights. It still puts restrictions on freedom of movement, lack of official accountability, arbitrary detention, mistreatment and torture of detainees. 

“Zakat” or alms giving is an obligatory tax in Saudi Arabia. According to the Islamic law as laid down by Royal Decree, Saudi individuals and companies pay Zakat annually. The funds collected on Zakat are spent on welfare activities. In the Fourth Five Year Development Plan (1986-1990), Saudi Arabia provided details on its social welfare programmes. During the Eighth Development Plan (2006-2010), a number of welfare programmes were launched to provide social rehabilitation, care and remedial services to protect vulnerable members of society and to deal with juvenile delinquency. Special attention was given on the poor, especially in the villages and the less developed areas. 

Social work education in Saudi Arabia is based on the Western model. The basic training is the baccalaureate. Departments of ‘social work’ or ‘sociology and social work’ in the Universities offer this course. For example, Department of Social Work, Imam University, Riyadh provides BSW with forty intake capacity. Department of Social Studies, King Saud University, Riyadh provided undergraduate courses. Department of Social Work, Om-Alqura University, Mecca provides undergraduate programme. Faculty of Social Work for Girls in Riyadh and King Saudi University run MSW and Doctoral programmes on social work. 

Israel: Israel became an independent country in 1947. It was formed after seven years of war and numerous terrorist attacks by Jews on British. Hebrew and Arabic are the official languages. It has about 81 per cent Jewish and 19 per cent Arabs. In 2001, it has 100 per cent literacy. The infant mortality rate was very low – 8 deaths per 1,000 live births and life expectancy was 77 years for men and 81 years for women. 

Formal social welfare developed before its independence. There was unexpected poverty, unemployment and lack of adequate shelter due to Great Depression. In 1931, a Department of Social Welfare under the provisional government was established. The Jewish community invited Henrietta Szold, a well-known American social worker, and introduced modern American and British welfare concepts of social welfare. In 1934, first one year training course in social work was started. Teachers from the USA and Germany provided training under this programme.

In 1948, during the war of independence, there was requirement for more trained social workers after great waves of refugees from the Holocaust and Arab countries flooded the gates of Israel. Thus, more people went for social work training in France and USA. In 1958, the Hebrew University in Jerusalem started school of social work and launched BSW programme. Gradually four more university-based Schools of Social Work in Israel – School of Social Work, Bar Ilan University; School of Social Work, University of Haifa; School of Social Work, Tel-Aviv University; and Department of Social Work, Ben Gurion University started offering BSW and MSW courses. The Hebrew University provides doctoral studies based on European model and The BarIlan University and Tel-Aviv University now offer Ph.D programmes based on American model. Schools of social work in Israel today have shortage of senior faculty members. 

Social work in Israel has professional association, council, registration system. The Israel Association of Social Workers is the professional association in the country. It is actively involved in the innovation and improvement of the profession. It also functions as a trade union. The Council of Social Work Education was formed in 1980. The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs maintains a registry of social workers. This registration is needed for the public sector employment in the country. 

Lebanon also has a base for social welfare services and social work education. The Department of Social Sciences, Beirut University College, offers a degree; Ecole Sociale offers social work training in French language; and the Lebanese University provides undergraduate programme. 

In Jordan, the Social Work Community College in Amman, renamed as Princess Rahmah College of Social Work offers social work education. 

Iraq has been ravaged by war. Bombings, suicide attacks, kidnappings, street fights robberies and looting are also part of daily life in Iraq. Social workers under voluntary organisations have been working to minimize human sufferings.       

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