Minority Adolescents' Future Orientation: The Case of Arabs Living in Israel

This study examines Arab adolescents' future orientation toward their education, family plans, economic status, and social adjustment. Arab adolescents' future orientation is of interest since, presently, Israel is experiencing major internal and external political changes. The Arabs in Israel are a non-assimilating minority. They differ from the Jewish majority in language, religion, and nationality. Previous research has shown that Arab adolescents express hope for peace and fear of war between the two peoples living in Israel. With the new peace initiatives in Israel, the future is being painted in different colors, and it is interesting to explore how Arab adolescents perceive their future, both as adolescents and as Arabs. The sample consists of 662 twelfth-grade students from seven high schools throughout Israel. The questionnaire used is a version of the Offer Self-image Questionnaire (Offer, Ostrov, & Howard, 1981), but only the findings on future orientation are analyzed in the present study. These findings show significant differences in Arab adolescents' future orientation across gender, family size, level of religiosity, and father's education. The significance of the findings is discussed in relation to the literature pertaining to adolescents' future orientation, particularly among minority groups, as well as the social, cultural, and educational transformation which the Arab population living in Israel is currently undergoing.     

The relative centrality of life domains among Jews and Arabs in Israel: the effect of culture,ethnicity, and demographic variables

The centrality of major life domains (work, family community leisure and religion) have not, to date, been studied among Arabs in Israel. This paper examines life domains centrality of 909 Jews and 286 Arabs (or Palestinians that have Israeli citizenship), who work in the Israeli labor market. The findings reveal significant differences in the importance of all life domains. Work centrality, as well as the importance of religion and community is significantly higher among Arabs than among Jews. Among Jews, the importance of family and leisure are significantly higher than among Arabs. A hierarchical regression analysis indicates that demographic variables have a low ability to explain the differences in the centrality of life domains among Jews and Arabs. The findings can be explained by cultural differences, the high degree of segregation, occupational discrimination, and mainly by the regional Palestinian/Arab-Israeli conflict.     

Internal Migration of Ethno‐national Minorities: The Case of Arabs in Israel

Recent scholarship emphasizes differences among ethnic groups' internal migration patterns. Yet, with few exceptions, research has focused on the Anglo‐American world, neglecting experiences from other regions. This paper is part of a larger research project that studies mobility among the Arab minority in Israel and its driving forces. In this paper we examine patterns of internal migration by analysing the propensity to migrate as well as migrants' individual and social characteristics. First, we survey the theoretical backdrop that is suggested by recent geographic literature on internal migration among ethnic and racial minorities, including native groups. Second, we contextualize the group studied, providing necessary background information on the political, socio‐economic and demographic conditions of Arabs in Israel. We briefly discuss attributes that are – or have been – potential hindering factors to Arab mobility in the Jewish state. Finally, we analyse 1995 national census data at the micro scale and provide a basis for future explanations of the phenomenon. We conclude by outlying some future directions in the study of internal migration of minorities in Israel.     

Health care service and ethnic minorities: The case of Austria

The present article delineates the way in which a number of factors—societal as well as individual—define the health profile of ethnic minorities as well as hinder their access to and appropriation of an adequate health care service. It is based on an exploratory study—the first of its kind to be carried out in Austria—undertaken by ‘The Interdisciplinary Centre for Comparative Research in the Social Sciences’ on the subject of ‘Foreigners and Health’.     

Intergenerational Support and the Emotional Well‐being of Older Jews and Arabs in Israel

This investigation examined the cultural context of intergenerational support among older Jewish and Arab parents living in Israel. The authors hypothesized that support from adult children would be more positively consequential for the psychological well‐being of Arab parents than of Jewish parents. The data derived from 375 adults age 65 and older living in Israel. Psychological well‐being was measured with positive and negative affect subscales of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Overall, positive affect was highest when filial expectations for support were congruent with whether or not instrumental support was received. Findings by cultural background revealed that, among older Jews, receiving instrumental support raised positive affect and stronger filial expectations lowered it. Among older Arabs, receiving financial support raised positive affect and receiving instrumental support lowered it. Culture appears to serve as a potent force in determining which types of intergenerational support functions are expected and accepted means of serving the everyday needs of older parents.     

Computer usage, destination language proficiency and the earnings of natives and immigrants

This paper uses the concept of a computer as a public good within the household to model the demand for computers at home. It also investigates the determinants, and consequences for earnings, of computer use. The equations are estimated using data on the native born and immigrants from the 2001 Census of Population and Housing in Australia. The multivariate analyses show that recent arrivals are more likely to use computers than the Australian born. The data suggests a high degree of favorable selection in migration as the level of computer use in Australia is much higher than in most of the countries that Australia’s immigrants come from. Those with a higher permanent income (education, household assets) are more likely to have a computer at home, but there is no effect of transitory income (unemployment). Immigrants who are more proficient in English are also more likely to use a computer. The relation between age and computer use is strongly influenced by cohort effects. Using a computer at home is associated with about 7% and 13% higher earnings for native-born and foreign-born men, respectively. For the immigrants, the effects of schooling and English language proficiency on earnings are greater among those who use a computer at home. This suggests complementarity in the labor market. The use of a computer is shown to be a way the foreign born can increase the international transferability of their pre-immigration skills, a finding that has implications for immigrant assimilation policies.

Self-employment and earnings among immigrants in Australia

This article contributes to the small Australian literature on the earnings of immigrants in the self-employment sector. Earnings functions for both the foreign-born and Australian-born are estimated, and the results show that compared with native-born workers, foreign-born workers have higher earnings in the wage/salary sector but lower earnings in the self-employment sector.
Among the foreign-born, the results suggest that self-employed immigrants are less skilled compared with those who are wage/salary employed. Thus, low-skilled immigrants may be forced into self-employment.
There is no evidence of immigrant "catch-up" in the self-employment sector. Among wage/salary workers, however, immigrant wages are characterized by a "catch-up" effect.     

English‐Language Proficiency among Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs in the United States, 1980–2000

This study assesses the determinants of English‐language proficiency among three subgroups of Israeli immigrants in the United States, namely native‐born Israeli Jews, foreign‐born Israeli Jews, and Palestinian Arabs, and how these determinants have changed over time. Multivariate analyses of decennial censuses from 1980, 1990, and 2000 reveal substantial differences in the directions and significance of the relationships between the independent variables and English proficiency of the subgroups under investigation. Ethnoreligious affiliation per se is seen to be an important factor that consistently explains intra‐group variation in English proficiency. This lends support to the split approach over the lump approach in attempting to understand immigrants’ linguistic dynamics in the new country. The findings are discussed in reference to three working hypotheses – “exposure,” “efficiency,” and “economic incentives” – and in the specific sociopolitical conditions of Jews and Arabs at both origin and destination.     

English language proficiency and earnings in a developing country: The case of South Africa

In this paper we explore the relationship between English language proficiency and earnings in South Africa, using new data from the first wave of the National Income Dynamics panel survey of 2008. Much of the literature on this topic has studied the impact on earnings of host country language acquisition among minority groups of immigrants to developed countries. In our study we analyse the returns to language skills in a developing country context where the dominant language of business, government and education is that of the former colony, although not more than one percent of the African majority population group speaks English as their home language. Our findings suggest large returns among Africans to reading and writing English very well, and particularly among those who have a tertiary education. We also briefly consider the implications of these results for language and education policy in South Africa in the post-apartheid period.     

Perception of Aggression as a Function of Ethnic Affiliation: Moral Judgment of Violence Among Jews and Arabs in Israel

Following previous findings which showed differences between Israeli citizens of Oriental and European descent in regards to moral judgment of aggression, a recent replication studied moral judgment in 358 ordinary Israeli citizens of Oriental (132 Jews and 121 Arabs) and of European (75 Jews) descent. Each participant was individually asked to imagine a series of incidents where a stimulus person inflicted (with little, some, or much intent) physical harm (little, some, or much) on another stimulus person. The participants rated the blameworthiness of the perpetrator's behavior in each of the nine incidents included in the complete bi-factorial design (3 × 3). It was found that Israelis of European descent tended to balance the weight of intent and damage while Israelis of Oriental descent from both ethnic-national backgrounds placed a greater emphasis on the damage that occurred. A psycho-sociological conception of the findings is suggested.     

Exploring the links between intertemporal fluctuations in export earnings and infant mortality: The case of the Sudan

The sociological studies of Third World quality of life have shared a tendency to assume that variations in the determinant variables follow smooth paths over time. However, an elaborate literature indicates that part of the explanation of variation in macro‐sociodemographic dependent variables (including quality of life indicators) may lie in erratic departures from trends in some macroeconomic determinants. This article represents an attempt to explore the nature of the effect of excessive fluctuations in export earnings and income on infant mortality rate using a single‐country time series data. The OLS model estimation findings indicate that instability in income has a systematic and significant adverse effect on infant mortality, whereas instability in export earnings exhibits a consistent lack of significance. These results indicate that the explanation of declines in development or quality of life indicators may also lie in aspects of development that are somehow overlooked in recent sociological studies of the Third World.     

The rural space in Israel in search of renewed identity: The case of the moshav

This paper aims to describe and explain the changes which have taken place in the rural areas of Israel by focussing on a particular type of community—the moshav, which is a planned smallholders’ settlement, based on family farms and legally organized as a cooperative society. An analysis of the changes that have taken place in the moshav in the past few decades reveals a process of rural restructuring, similar to that which is occurring in many developed countries. New economic activities have replaced farming as sources of income, and newcomers, mostly of urban origin, have invaded rural communities in search of a better quality of life. These changes derive from a combination of structural changes in agriculture, changing government policies and cumulative decisions of rural households. The result is a more heterogeneous moshav—physically, economically and socially, and growing regional, inter-village and intra-village disparities. These developments have a direct impact on the organizational structure of the moshav, its environmental qualities and its exchange relations with the urban sector. As part of the ongoing process of change the moshav is gradually losing some of its unique features, which formed the basis for its identity as a special type of rural community. This leads to the question of whether the moshav will be able to develop a new identity as a distinct type of rural community, or turn into a suburban or urban community. The answer will depend largely on the direction taken by government policy.     

Economic growth and female labour: the case of Israel

This article aims to demonstrate the relation between the participation and location of women in the Israeli labour force and economic-structural processes central to the development of the Israeli economy. It begins with a discussion of the main features of the economic growth of Israeli society, indicating the implications of these features for female labour. The overall pattern of female participation in the labour force is then discussed, noting the main shifts in this pattern and their significance, followed by a more detailed presentation of the position of women in a number of economic branches–the textile and clothing industries, education and welfare services, finance and trade. The sexual division of labour is further examined according to the difference between Ashkenazi and Oriental women of first and second generations. Finally, a concluding discussion assesses the significance of women to the economy and the implications of their position within the economy to their future prospects.     

马坚先生译著《阿拉伯通史》三版序言及最新版后记

1979年,美国著名中东学者希提教授的<阿拉伯通史>中译本由商务印书馆首次出版,填补了当时国内相关学术领域的一个空白.事隔近三十年后,新世界出版社在对北大已故马坚教授的这个译本进行适当编辑加工的基础上,于2008年7月又重新推出这部长达75万字的阿拉伯历史鸿篇巨著.这无论对于相关的专业学习和学术研究,还是对于帮助国内读者全面准确地了解阿拉伯民族悠久丰富的历史文化,都具有一定的现实意义.     

马坚先生译著《阿拉伯通史》三版序言及最新版后记

1979年，美国著名中东学者希提教授的《阿拉伯通史》中译本由商务印书馆首次出版，填补了当时国内相关学术领域的一个空白。事隔近三十年后，新世界出版社在对北大已故马坚教授的这个译本进行适当编辑加工的基础上，于2008年7月又重新推出这部长达75万字的阿拉伯历史鸿篇巨著。这无论对于相关的专业学习和学术研究，还是对于帮助国内读者全面准确地了解阿拉伯民族悠久丰富的历史文化，都具有一定的现实意义。     

Intergenerational Relations: The Views of Older Jews and Arabs

The aim of the current qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of older Jews and Arabs on intergenerational family relations. Interviews were conducted with 20 men and women, 10 in each group, ages 65 and older. Five themes emerged from the analysis of the interviews: family is the major component of meaning of life; two dimensions of intergenerational relations: solidarity and ambivalence; intergenerational communication; filial expectations; and home and family as sources of honor and respect. Similarities and differences between the two groups were identified and explained, using modernization theory and cultural context.     

Between Spatial and Social Segregation among Immigrants: The Case of Immigrants from the FSU in Israel

Studies on immigrants' residential concentration have reported mixed findings. Some have argued that immigrants' residential concentration is a necessary step in the process of their social integration because there the newcomers find housing and employment opportunities as well as social support. As they learn the language and improve their socioeconomic status, they move to neighborhoods where they share space with the native population. Others have argued that the ethnic neighborhood delays the process of social integration in the new society because it nurtures informal ethnic social networks that provide incomplete information and retard the process of language acquisition. The study reported here investigated the effect of motivations, perceptions of attitudes of the host society, acculturation and socioeconomic factors on immigrants' residential concentration. It also sought to expand previous research by examining the relationship between immigrants'residential concentration and social relationships with nonimmigrants. Data for the study were collected in 1999 through a survey of immigrants from the FSU who had settled in one northern city in Israel after 1989. The results show a negative relationship of socioeconomic status and fluency in Hebrew with the percentage of immigrants residing in a given neighborhood. The higher the socioeconomic status and the more fluent the immigrant in Hebrew, the lower the percentage of immigrants in his or her neighborhood. Immigrants who expressed a proactive motivation for migration resided in neighborhoods with a low percentage of immigrants. Immigrants' residential concentration was not found to be related to the development of social relationships with the local population. The implications of the findings are discussed.     

Transforming polygamy: migration,transnationalism and multiple marriages among Muslim minorities

In Europe, polygamy is often portrayed as emblematic of unchanging patriarchal traditions among Muslims. In contrast, based on research with Pakistanis in Britain and Turks in Denmark, we explore ways in which polygamy is transformed in the context of migration and transnationalism. Migration‐related polygamy features in accounts of the pioneer generations of Pakistani and Turkish migrants to Europe, but there is also evidence of great variety in contemporary practices of multiple marriage, and new permutations of polygamy arising due to the specific conditions of transnational migration. Coexisting legal systems within and between nations; the opportunities of spousal settlement; multiple marital aspirations; and both transnational connections and geographical distance combine to create opportunities and motivations for a range of polygamous situations, including some in which ‘technical’ polygamy masks monogamy in practice.