Gender employment contradictions in Israeli nonprofit organizations providing social care
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
ISSN: 0144-333X
Article publication date: 23 February 2024
Issue publication date: 30 May 2024
Abstract
Purpose
This article asks how gender, ethnicity and other identities intersect and shape the employment experiences of social workers. During recent decades, governments have contracted social care to for-profit and nonprofit organizations (NPOs) globally as a part of the adaption of the neoliberal approach. Most employees in these organizations are women. However, there is a lack of knowledge about women working in social service NPOs and their unique working environments.
Design/methodology/approach
This article explores the experiences of women employed as social workers in social care NPOs in Israel regarding intersectionality. 27 in-depth interviews were conducted with women social workers working in social service NPOs. Participants reflected diversity in ethnicity, religion and full-time and part-time jobs. Thematic analysis was used.
Findings
The findings shed light on: (1) the contradiction social workers experienced between the stated values of the social care NPO and those values’ conduct, (2) intersectional discrimination among social workers from vulnerable populations and (3) the lack of gender-aware policies.
Social implications
The need to raise awareness of the social care sector and governments to those contradictions and to promote diversity through gender-aware policies and practices.
Originality/value
The article suggests a conceptualization describing gender employment contradictions in social care NPOs, discusses how the angle of intersectionality expands the understanding of the complexities and pressures exerted on social workers from minority groups and emphasizes the need for social care NPOs to acknowledge and deal with these contradictions.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the women they interviewed for their insights and time and the Israel Science Foundation for its support.
Citation
Livnat, I. and Almog-Bar, M. (2024), "Gender employment contradictions in Israeli nonprofit organizations providing social care", International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Vol. 44 No. 5/6, pp. 570-585. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-10-2023-0248
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited