The aftermath: Community workers as place-makers in conflict-riven societies

Abstract

Social workers play a vital role in making violence-stricken communities into safer places for human development. However, research examining the experiences of community practitioners in political conflicts is scarce. Using a place-making analytical framework, this study addresses this gap exploring community practitioners’ practices around outbreaks of violence in Israeli Jewish-Arab mixed cities. Based on 50 semi-structured interviews, the findings reveal three modalities of place-making: place-developing, place-protecting, and place-remaking. The study highlights community practice’s significant role in constructing spaces in light of practitioners’ sense of place. It encourages the inclusion of place-making as a framework to understand social work within conflict zones.