Minority Social Workers Share Their Previously Tacit Knowledge: Patterns and Importance of Sharing and the Context.

This article examines how Arab social workers in Israel’s welfare bureaus share previously tacit knowledge—unarticulated professional insights gained from fieldwork—particularly regarding institutional deprivation affecting children and youth in out-of-home care. Drawing on interviews with twenty Arab social workers, the study identifies critical knowledge about systemic shortages of culturally and geographically appropriate residential settings, lack of specialized care for vulnerable minors, and the impact of these deficiencies on children’s rights and well-being. Despite recognizing the value of sharing such knowledge for service users, professionals, and government institutions, social workers face significant barriers including inadequate professional training, lack of organizational culture supporting knowledge sharing, and insufficient infrastructure. The findings highlight the need for social work education and welfare organizations to foster environments and policies that facilitate the elicitation, documentation, and dissemination of tacit knowledge, especially within minority communities facing socio-political and economic disadvantages.