Arab school principals in Israel – between conformity and moral courage

ABSTRACT

The Arab-Israeli education system is a separate but not autonomous system serving Israel’s inhabitants whose first language is Arabic. These include the Muslim and Bedouin majority communities and smaller Christian, Druze and others, whose children attend schools in which the curriculum is determined by a Zionist perspective, taught in Arabic. Thus, in the context of a system established according to the Israeli cultural/national narrative, this study brings to light the voice of ten principals who, through open, in-depth interviews – ‘small stories’ – reveal their prospective and management of issues-in-conflict to formulate and present their professional identity according to their own sense of self. It presents the conflicts their position confronts vis-à-vis both the formal education authorities and the unique situation their society and culture pose in executing their educational/administrative and moral responsibilities. The findings reveal situations ranging from active acceptance of the institutional dictates of a conformist nature, through passive acceptance, (‘conformity’) to attempts at promoting autonomous activities within the defined limitations (‘moral courage’).     

“Live in Israel. Live the Dream”: Identity,Belonging, and Contemporary American Jewish Migration to Israel

Most current sociological literature on migration examines international moves to the United States and internal migration. Scant research addresses religious migration out of the United States. Utilizing in-depth, semi-structured interviews, we explore motivations behind recent American Jewish migration to Israel and how Jewish identity plays a role in the decision to move. We find that a combination of religious and cultural factors, Zionism, social networks, and the desire for a new start play a major role in motivating migration to Israel. Jewish identity is a common thread across these motivations. Many participants created a strong bond between their Judaism and Israel, viewing their connection to Israel as a way to belong to a larger community and demonstrate their attachment to Judaism. We discuss the implications for studying religious emigration from the United States that move beyond traditional economic models.     

First Visit to Israel

WE arrived at Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel-Aviv in the evening of November 9, and were met and welcomed with smiles and bouquets by Aviva Brodstein, chairperson of the Tourism, Overseas and Absorption Department of Na'amat, Maya Zahavit, Chairperson of the Israeli Section of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Samira Khury, Chairperson of MDWI, Yaffa     

Tracing Stigma in Long-Term Care Insurance in Israel: Stakeholders’ Views of Policy Implementation

A rapidly expanding number of baby boomers provide care to aging parents. This study examines associations between caregiver status and outcomes related to awareness and anticipation of future long-term care (LTC) needs using 2007 Connecticut Long-Term Care Needs Assessment survey data. Baby boomers who were adult child caregivers (n = 353) versus baby boomers who were not (n = 1242) were more likely to anticipate some future LTC needs and to have considered certain financing strategies. Although baby boomer adult child caregivers more readily anticipate some future LTC needs, they are not taking specific actions. It is important to address the need for public education directed toward those who are currently (or have recently completed) caring for aging parents.     

Exploring the Adaptive Capacities of Shared Jewish–Arab Organizations in Israel

Nonprofits have unique strategic concerns, including their dependence on external resources, the management of multiple stakeholders, perceptions about their organizational legitimacy as well as their primary focus on the social value of their organizational mission (Stone and Brush 1996). For shared Jewish–Arab organizations in Israel that are seeking to promote a ‘shared society,’ the obstacles in navigating these various challenges are particularly pronounced and require a very unique kind of adaptive capacity (see Letts et al. 1999; Connolly and York 2003; Strichman et al. 2007). Often operating outside of the general consensus, these organizations are faced with the significant challenge of promoting values of partnership, equality and mutual interests among two populations that are often at odds. This research seeks to shed light on how shared Arab–Jewish nonprofits are continually working to strengthen organizational capacities to more effectively carry out their particular organizational mission, given the myriad of challenges they face.     

Increasing access to higher education and employment,Ethiopian immigrants’ in Israel

In modern societies, where higher education serves as a significant vehicle of integration, the inclusion of immigrants within the realm of higher education is not a foregone conclusion. This is the result of cultural, economic, and social gaps. In some cases, the integration process is blocked prior to the stage of academic studies. This situation has resulted in the creation of a teacher education program for Ethiopian students in Israeli academic colleges of education for the purpose of bridging the gap between higher education and employment, and increasing the chances of the graduates’ admission into the field of teaching. The aim of the present study was to examine the success of the program, emphasizing the graduates’ integration into the teaching profession. It was conducted by means of Mixed Methods research. An examination of the data indicates that a substantial number of graduates were integrated into various educational settings. It also reveals the improving status of the graduates as well as the influence of the program on their personal and professional development.     

A population policy for Israel?

This article focusing on the question of a population policy for Israel evolved out of the invitation of "The Jewish Journal of Sociology" to review "The Population of Israel" by Dov Friedlander and Calvin Goldscheider. The book which deals mainly with population policies analyzes only 2 aspects of policies: those concerned with immigration and with natality. With respect to the immigration policies, it seems to this author that some of the main conclusions are at variance with the results of the detailed analysis, as will be shown. Regarding natality policies, Friedlander and Goldscheider present a systematic demonstration of their thesis that pronatal policies proposed in Israel in 1966 were futile. Patient checking of their data, however, reveals weaknesses and internal contradictions which invalidate their main thesis. Additionally, their neglect of other aspects of population policies is regrettable. In this discussion focus is mainly on the problems of natality policies, since these are believed to be of particular importance for the future of the Jewish people. In Israel considerable investment has been made by the Jewish Agency and the Israeli government for the encouragement and absorption of immigrants. There has been only a small expenditure for the immediate implementation of pronatal policies. Diverting funds from the latter to add to the resources of the former is an unrealistic proposition. The policy of ecncouraging immigration has been and continues to be a basic tenet of Israel and of the Zionist movement. It will most likely be pruned in the future with a large measure of national consensus. Recent detailed projections of the world's Jewish populations show that if current demographic trends are maintained, a steep numerical decline and a further rapid aging of the Diaspora population can be expected. If present levels of fertility of Jews in Israel are maintained in the future, their natural increase may in a rather considerable measure compensate for demographic losses of the Diaspora. Fertility decline in Israel may result in a steep decrease of the world's Jewish population. This possibility cannot be ruled out. Israeli Jews are still rather familistic, and their tendency to marry is still strong. Their fertility is higher than in the Diaspora and in the majority of developed countries. There have been some indications in the past few years, however, that these trends are weakening. If the future survival of the Jewish people and the strengthening of the State of Israel are viewed as desirable goals, then policies must be carefully designed to ensure that the Jewish population of Israel may reach a size and a structure which would help to realize these objectives. Such policies must be directed at supporting the institution of marriage and the stability of the family and at promoting fertility and responsible parenthood. There must be a continuing evaluation of existing immigration policies.     

High school students’ academic causal attributions in the cultural-political context of the Arab school system in Israel

While motivation is commonly interpreted as an individual student’s characteristic, motivational perceptions and beliefs, such as causal attributions of success and failure, are embedded in cultural meanings and contextual practices. The current study aimed to investigate causal attributions among Arab high school students in Israel and to interpret them in the light of their cultural-political context. Two hundred and five 11th-grade Arab students from three different geographic regions in Israel responded to open-ended and closed survey questions about events of success and failure in school. The analysis indicated that students overwhelmingly considered exams when thinking about events of success and failure, reflecting the normative teacher-centred pedagogical practices in schools. The analysis also manifested patterns of a self-serving bias. These findings are interpreted in the light of the cultural-political characteristics of the Arab school system in Israel.     

Bilingual children’s literature as a tool reflecting non-reconciled and reconciled identities in the Ethiopian community in Israel

This study investigates the manner in which new and veteran Ethiopian immigrant students in Israel perceive their identity by investigating their attitudes towards children’s books written in both Hebrew and Amharic. Two major types of identity were revealed: (1) a non-reconciled identity that seeks to minimise the visibility of one’s ethnic group. (2) A reconciled identity that incorporates the original ethnic identity and tries to reconcile it with the majority culture by experiencing both the Israeli and the Ethiopian identities.     

Mandatory reporting of childhood sexual abuse in Israel: what happens after the report?

While the professional literature deals to some degree with the difficult dilemmas faced by professionals regarding the question of reporting or not reporting child abuse as mandated by law, there is a glaring insufficiency of studies looking at the impact of reporting on the victims and their families. This paper presents six cases of suspected sexual abuse to demonstrate some of the inconsistency in responses to reports within the Israeli system. The authors recommend amendments to the Israeli mandatory reporting law so that the law is not only a societal decree of the absolute prohibition against the sexual exploitation of minors and others incapable of giving informed consent, but also a basis for consistent and skillful professional intervention.     

The money size illusion as a barometer of confidence? The case of high inflation in Israel

Israel has known a very high inflation rate and two currency changes in thepast five years. Coin size estimation by 97 subjects reveals a general tendency to underestimate sizes. The specific pattern of results suggests that coin size estimation is influenced by the subject's attitude towards the coin in question, that inflation and actual value of the coin are not the only determinants of that attitude, and that the attitude remains unchanged if the coin is removed from circulation.     

Social Workers’ Conflict of Loyalty in the Context of Social Activism: The Case of the 2011 Social Protests in Israel

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study examined the experiences of social workers who participated in the 2011 Israeli social protests. Data were collected through 1 focus group interview. The sample included 11 social workers employed in 11 social welfare departments throughout the country. Findings highlight the complexities and dilemmas experienced by social workers who protested against the system that employs them. Research findings contribute to the discourse regarding the conflict of loyalty experienced by public social workers engaged in social activism that targets the system that employs them.     

Is Elder Abuse and Neglect a Social Phenomenon? Data from the First National Prevalence Survey in Israel

This article discusses findings from the First National Survey on Elder Abuse and Neglect in Israel, conducted during 2004–2005 under the sponsorship of The Association for Planning and Development of Services for the Aged in Israel (ESHEL) and the National Insurance Institute. The goals were to examine the prevalence and severity of various forms of abuse and neglect from the victims' perspective, to examine correlates and predictors, and to develop profiles of elders at risk. Data were collected through personal interviews from a national representative sample of community urban dwellers age 65 and older, using cluster sampling techniques and sampling proportionately both Arab and Jewish elders. The sample was composed of 392 males and 650 females, 89% were Jews and 11% were non-Jews. The instrument included sociodemographic data, health and activities of daily living (ADL), a measure of safety, and a battery to examine seven types of abuse (physical, emotional, verbal, limitation of freedom, financial exploitation, sexual, and neglect). Findings indicate that 18.4% of the respondents were exposed to at least one type of abuse during the 12 months preceding the interview, the highest form being verbal abuse followed by financial exploitation. The rates were quite similar between Jews and Arabs. Women were more exposed to physical violence and Arab women were the most vulnerable. Physical, emotional, verbal, limitation of freedom, and sexual abuse occurred mostly among partners. The rates of physical, sexual, and limitation of freedom abuse, however, were relatively low. Financial exploitation was mostly inflicted by adult children. Partners as perpetrators had more chronic health problems and physical and mental disabilities. Children as perpetrators were unemployed, had various mental health problems, and were substance abusers, often in a process of separation or divorce and tended to live with the victims. Neglect in answering primary needs was found among 20% of the sample, regarding the 3 months preceding the interview. This high rate might be related to elders tending to avoid seeking help or sharing their needs with their families. When victims sought help it was mostly from medical and health services. The findings thus corroborate that elder abuse and neglect is a social problem in Israeli society and has to be addressed in policy discourse and service developments.     

Changing intimate relationships: An Israel—UK comparison

A first step toward understanding the association between women's attempts to change the domestic division of labour in their households and their attempts to change spousal communication in their relationships, is offered by this comparative study. The conditions under which married women in the UK and in Israel will attempt to initiate change in their intimate relationships and the relative effectiveness of those initiatives are examined within both institutional and cultural contexts. The study examines the possibility that institutional forces such as the availability of state-subsidised day care facilities and ideological forces such as familiarity with therapeutic ideas are important factors in shaping the context in which women initiate processes of change in their intimate relationships. Two compatible samples of employed, married, mostly middle-class women from Israel and the UK are compared regarding their attempts to increase their partners' participation in domestic tasks and their communicative co-operation. The findings indicate that Israeli women, who operate in a context that recognises their status as 'working mothers', tend to perceive their employment as more legitimate than do the UK women and feel more entitled to challenge existing domestic practices. The findings support the possibility that familiarity with therapeutic ideas is related to more effective attempts to change either domestic arrangements or spousal communication patterns. Cette étude comparative est un premier pas vers la compréhension de la relation entre les tentatives des femmes de modifier la répartition des tâches domestiques au foyer et celles de modifier leur communication dans leurs relations avec leur conjoint. On y examinera à la fois dans les contextes institutionnels et culturels, les conditions dans lesquelles les femmes mariées au Royaume-Uni et en Israël tentent d'initier un changement dans ces relations intimes ainsi que la relative efficacité de ces initiatives. Cette étude avance que l'existence de facteurs institutionnels tels que la présence d'institutions subventionnées par l'Etat pour la garde des enfants ainsi que des facteurs idéologiques tels que la connaissance des idées thérapeutiques, pourraient constituer des éléments importants dans la cristallisation du contexte dans lequel les femmes entreprennent de modifier leurs relations. On y compare des femmes de milieu moyen qui travaillent (en Israël et au Royaume-Uni) et qui tentent de faire prendre àleur partenaire une plus grande part dans les tâches domestiques et la coopération en termes de commutativité. Les résultats indiquent que les femmes israéliennes, fonctionnant dans un milieu reconnaissant leur qualiteéde 'mères qui travaillent', tendent à percevoir leur emploi comme plus légitime que les femmes anglaises et considèrent avoir davantage le droit de défier les pratiques domestiques existantes. Les résultats indiquent que la connaissance des idées thérapeutiques serait en relation directe avec l'efficacité des tentatives de modifier soit le 'statu-quo' domestique soit la communication entre époux.     

“As a Divorcee,I Am a Better Father”: Work and Parenting Among Divorced Men in Israel

The article presents the emotional and cognitive experiences of divorced fathers in Israel faced with the need to balance work and family. The analysis is based on in-depth interviews with 22 divorced fathers. The main finding of the study is that divorced fathers face a more intense family–work conflict, which they did not have to contend with as married fathers. Many interviewees reported a shift in the perceived importance of work in their lives. Divorced fathers described their parenting experience as enhanced in comparison to prior married life; many of them felt that after the divorce they became better fathers.     

“Thanks to the Internet,We Remain a Family”: ICT Domestication by Elderly Immigrants and their Families in Israel

In addition to coping with intergenerational and spousal problems related to aging and/or immigration, elderly immigrants in Israel are also often burdened with domesticating information and communication technologies (ICTs). Thus, the goal of this study is to explore how relationships within the elderly immigrant’s family are manifested in a home computer context and to determine the roles that domestication of the relevant technologies plays in their family life. This qualitative study is based on in-depth interviews with 26 elderly users who immigrated from the Former Soviet Union (FSU) to Israel about 20 years ago. The findings show that ICT domestication and family dynamics are complex, interrelated processes: Technologies have dramatically changed the elderly immigrants’ family situations, yet immigrants have accorded these technologies unique meaning, adapting them to respond to their family needs and negotiating ICT domestication as a means of discussing and rebuilding family communication.