Social workers’ contribution to success in lives of young Moroccan-Dutch

ABSTRACT

In two studies we investigated the views of Dutch social professionals and young Moroccan-Dutch on success and failure factors in the social participation of the latter group in the Netherlands. In the first study, professionals (N = 148) emphasized ties and life skills. In the second study, we compared perspectives on participation via interviews with Moroccan-Dutch (N = 61), aged 18–34 years, and Dutch social workers (N = 45), aged 20–64 years. Both emphasized inclusion, integration, schooling, skills, working harder than mainstream Dutch, positive feedback, the relationship of trust and motivation. However, participation is hampered by stigmatization, victim-blaming attitude, poor parenting, weak skills, limited ties and access to social work. Weak ties with mainstreamers were due to exclusion according to professionals and to cultural barriers according to Moroccan-Dutch. We found differences, using chi-square tests, in engagement with co-ethnics, native Dutch or a mixed group, education, SES and between successful and unsuccessful Moroccan-Dutch. Professionals advised not to focus on the anti-immigrant climate as this is resistant to short-term change but underlined combatting exclusion. Moroccan-Dutch respected professionals who supported them unconditionally. Their participation associates with ‘social Triple C’: climate, capital and competence. Strengthening these resources is the best intervention for successful participation.

SAMENVATTING

In twee studies onderzochten we de visies van Nederlandse sociale professionals en jonge Marokkaanse Nederlanders op succes- en faalfactoren van sociale participatie in Nederland. In de eerste studie benadrukten professionals (N = 148) banden met Nederlanders en levensvaardigheden. In de tweede studie vergeleken we perspectieven op participatie via interviews met Marokkaanse Nederlanders (N = 61), van 18–34 jaar, en sociaal werkers (N = 45), van 20–64 jaar. Allebei benadrukten inclusie, integratie, opleiding, vaardigheden, harder werken dan autochtonen, positieve feedback, vertrouwensband en motivatie. Echter, stigmatisering, slachtofferschap, inadequaat functioneren van ouders, zwakke vaardigheden, beperkt netwerk en toegang tot het sociaal werk werkten belemmerend. De zwakke banden met autochtonen waren te wijten aan uitsluiting volgens professionals en culturele belemmeringen volgens Marokkaanse Nederlanders. De chi kwadraat toetsen toonden verschillen aan tussen succesvolle en niet succesvolle Marokkaanse Nederlanders in omgang met Marokkaanse Nederlanders, autochtonen of een gemixte groep, opleiding en SES. Professionals adviseerden niet te focussen op het anti-immigranten klimaat, omdat dit moeilijk te veranderen is, maar onderstreepten bestrijding van uitsluiting. Marokkaanse Nederlanders toonden respect voor professionals die hen onvoorwaardelijk steunden. Hun participatie associeert met Triple C: Climate (klimaat), Capital (kapitaal) en Competence (competentie). Deze sociale hulpbronnen versterken is de beste interventie voor succesvolle participatie.

KEYWORDS:

• Acculturation
• Moroccan-Dutch
• social workers
• social participation
• integration

SLEUTELWOORDEN:

• Acculturatie
• Marokkaanse Nederlanders
• Sociaal Werkers
• Sociale Participatie en Integratie

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Youssef Azghari is a socially engaged social work lecturer at Avans University, Department of Social Studies in the Netherlands and is an expert in intercultural communication. He is a passionate researcher at Tilburg University, Department of Culture Studies in the Netherlands, specialized in acculturation, identity issues, the empowerment of young Moroccan-Dutch adults and the role of social workers in improving the participation of Moroccan-Dutch. He is an international speaker and workshop facilitator, inventor of the Bridge Model, author of books and publications on cultural diversity and culturally determined communication, researcher of Islam and Morocco Studies and recipient of 2009 Challenging Diversity Award. Webpages: www.youssefazghari.com, http://www.avans.nl/onderzoek/expertisecentra/caring-society-3.0/deelnemers/jeugd-gezin-en-samenleving/youssef-azghari and www.youssefazghari.com.

Fons van de Vijver is Professor of Cultural Psychology at Tilburg University, the Netherlands, and Professor Extraordinary at North-West University, South Africa and the University of Queensland, Australia. He has written over 500 publications, mainly on cognition, acculturation, multiculturalism and methodological aspects of cross-cultural studies (how can we design and analyse cross-cultural studies to maximize their validity?). With Kwok Leung from Hong Kong, he co-authored a book on cross-cultural research methods (1997, Sage). He is a former Editor of the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. He is the 2016–2018 President of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology. Webpage: http://www.fonsvandevijver.org and https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fons_Van_De_Vijver2.

Erna Hooghiemstra is an independent expert in the field of youth and social policy. She graduated as social geographer and worked for a long time as a researcher at the Social and Cultural Planning Office (SCP). She carried out extensive field and data research on partner choice processes of Moroccan and Turkish youngsters in the Netherlands, which resulted in her dissertation ‘Trouwen over de Grens’ [marriage across the border] (2003). She held different positions as manager of research institutes. Until recently she worked as Associate Professor at Avans University of Applied Sciences and researcher at Tilburg University.

ORCID

Youssef Azghari http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8402-1970

Fons J. R. van de Vijver http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0220-2485

Notes

1 This number in parentheses refers to the first theme in Table 5.