Background

The issue of ethnicity is central to the field of Child and Youth Care (CYC), yet the ways in which the ethnic identity of CYC workers is manifested and related to their practice has remained significantly understudied.

Objective

The present research examines the role of ethnic identity in the personal and professional lives of Mizrahi (Asian or North African background) and Ashkenazi (European background) CYC workers in Israel, and the way it is manifested in their practice with marginalized youth.

Methods

This qualitative phenomenological study examined in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted with 33 Israeli CYC workers (18 Mizrahi and 15 Ashkenazi).

Results

The data suggests that the workers' ethnic background and identity are related to their perception of ethnicity and its role in their personal and professional lives. Mizrahi workers reported high ingroup identification and a strong ethnic identity, while Ashkenazi workers tended to perceive ethnic issues as irrelevant. These differences shape the way CYC workers' ethnic identities are played out in their practice and impact their relations with the youth.

Conclusions

The findings emphasize the issue of ethnic identity in CYC practice, suggesting issues of ethnicity, location of self, and color blindness should be incorporated in the professional development of CYC workers and as part of the essence of CYC practice in multi-ethnic societies.

中文翻译：

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种族在儿童和青少年保育实践中的作用：“当他们听到我的姓氏时，他们突然尊重我”

背景

种族问题是儿童和青少年保育（CYC）领域的中心问题，但是，CYC工人的种族身份如何体现出来并与他们的实践相关联的方法仍被大大研究。

目的

本研究调查了种族身份在以色列的Mizrahi（亚洲或北非背景）和Ashkenazi（欧洲背景）CYC工人的个人和职业生活中的作用，以及在边缘化青年实践中表现出来的方式。

方法

这项定性的现象学研究调查了对33位以色列CYC工人（18位Mizrahi和15位Ashkenazi）进行的深入半结构化访谈。

结果

数据表明，工人的种族背景和身份与他们对种族的看法及其在个人和职业生活中的作用有关。米兹拉希（Mizrahi）工人报告称其具有较高的群体认同感和强烈的种族认同感，而阿什肯纳兹（Ashkenazi）工人则倾向于将种族问题视为无关紧要的。这些差异塑造了CYC工人的种族身份在实践中的表现方式，并影响了他们与青年的关系。

结论

这些发现强调了CYC实践中的种族认同问题，表明种族，自我定位和色盲问题应纳入CYC工人的职业发展中，并应作为多族裔社会CYC实践本质的一部分。