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Background and Objectives: This research investigated how coping resources explain emotional reactions of anger and anxiety, in the context of threat of house demolition, among adolescents in three groups: Adolescents living in a recognized village with no demolition, adolescents living in an unrecognized village (by the Israeli government as legal) with no demolition, and adolescents living in an unrecognized village with demolition. The framework of this research is based on Antonovsky's salutogenic theory, which suggests examining ability to cope with stressful situations., Design: Multi-group cross-sectional study., Methods: The study was carried out during 2010-2011 and included 910 participants, of whom 411 adolescents lived in unrecognized villages where 193 of them experienced home demolition. Participants filled out a questionnaire including demographics, coping resources and emotional reactions., Results: Findings showed that stress reactions were the highest among adolescents from unrecognized villages with demolition. Personal sense of coherence (SOC) was related to fewer emotional reactions among the adolescents from recognized villages; among adolescents from unrecognized villages, especially adolescents living in an unrecognized village with demolition, a stronger SOC was linked to stronger emotional reactions., Conclusions: These findings have important implications for understanding the role of coping among youth from different cultural groups.

The aim of this study was to examine emotional reactions and coping strategies of Bedouin adolescents against the backdrop of house demolitions in the unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Negev, Israel. We compared two groups of adolescents living in unrecognized Bedouin villages, teenagers whose houses had been destroyed (acute + chronic group) and their counterparts whose houses had not been destroyed (chronic group). Data were gathered during October to December 2010 from 465 Bedouin adolescents aged 13-18 years. Adolescents filled out self-report questionnaires, which included demographics, objective and subjective exposure to house demolition, state anxiety, state anger, psychological distress and Adolescent Coping Scale. Results show differences between the two groups in stress reactions as well as in objective exposure to house demolition with the acute + chronic group reporting more stress and more exposure. In addition, different variables explained stress reactions in the different groups. Whereas in the acute + chronic group, objective and subjective exposure were the most significant variables, in the chronic group, the coping strategies explained stress with more variance. Results are discussed in terms of differentiating between types of stress, chronic versus acute + chronic and in relation to the interactionist model of coping with stress., (Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

The aim of this study was to explore coping resources as explanatory factors in reducing emotional distress of adolescents in an acute stress situation. We compared two ethnic groups-Jewish and Arab-Bedouin Israelis-during intensive missile attacks in January 2009. Data were gathered from 138 Israeli-Jews and 84 Israeli-Arab Bedouins, 12-18 years old, who filled out self reported questionnaires among which state anxiety, state anger, and psychological distress (SPD) were measures of emotional distress, and sense of coherence (SOC) and hope index served as measures of coping resources. Findings indicated no differences between the two groups on state anxiety, SPD and hope levels. Arab Bedouins reported higher levels of state anger and lower levels of sense of coherence. The coping resources, however, explained the stress reactions differently among the two groups. While SOC made a major contribution in explaining stress reactions among Jewish adolescents, hope index explained stress reactions only for the Arab group. The findings are discussed against the background of the salutogenic theory and the cultural differences between the two ethnic groups.

The study examined the use of coping strategies among Israeli Jewish and Arab adolescents who faced missile attacks during the Second Lebanon War. We further explored the role of ethnicity, gender and age in explaining psychological distress and the ways in which different coping strategies relate to health outcomes in the two ethnic groups. Data were gathered from 303 Israeli adolescents (231 Jews and 72 Arabs), 12-19 years old, who filled out self-reported questionnaires among which were demographics; Adolescent Coping Scale, Scale of Psychological Distress (SPD), state anxiety and state anger. Both Jewish and Arab adolescents mostly used "problem solving" coping strategies and reported relatively low levels of psychological distress. Similarities among Jews and Arabs were indicated in the use of "problem solving" coping strategies but not in the use of "reference to others"--and "non-productive" coping strategies. Significant but small effects were indicated for gender and interaction of ethnicity and age on "psychological distress." The coping strategies explained only 35% of the variance of stress reactions for the Jewish group but 51% for the Arab group. The results are discussed against the background of an interactionist approach, considering coping as a function of interaction between the stressful war event and the individual-cultural background.

This study was developed by a group of Israeli and Palestinian researchers for the purpose of examining levels and contents of hope among young people in the conflicted region of the Middle East. Hope was defined as the interaction between wishes and positive future expectations. The differentiation between personal and collective hopes, as well as stability and/or change of levels of hope in the context of a changing reality, were examined. Data were collected at two points of time: during the period of the Oslo Accords talks (1999-2000) and in the time of events of the Al-Aksa Intifada (2002). The representative samples in the first stage were comprised of 1,183 Palestinian high-school students from the Palestinian National Territories, and 1,188 Israeli Jewish students. The adolescents' hopes, wishes and expectations for the future are compared and discussed from individual, social, and cultural perspectives., (2006 APA, all rights reserved)

This study was developed by a group of Israeli and Palestinian researchers for the purpose of examining social knowledge of young people in the conflicted region of the Middle East. The article examines the relations between measures of interpretations of the past (perceptions of legitimacy and emotional reactions toward the historical "narratives" of Israelis and Palestinians) and measures of expectations of the collective future, as reflected in conflict resolution beliefs. Data were collected from December 1999 to February 2000 (before the present crisis [2000-2002] in Jewish-Palestinian relations) among representative samples of high school students (Grades 10 and 12): 1,183 Palestinians in the Palestinian National Territories and 1,188 Israeli Jewish students. The results are discussed from developmental, social, and cultural perspectives.

This article explores changes in children's openness towards kindergarten teachers and children of an outgroup following participation in an intervention program. The program was implemented by kindergarten teachers and aimed at encountering the other via intergroup contact. The findings are based on qualitative data from interviews with the kindergarten teachers. According to the findings, children's participation in the program fostered openness towards the kindergarten teacher from the outgroup and encouraged children's openness to contact with outgroup children as well. Moreover, even during a time of conflict escalation, children's acceptance and openness towards the kindergarten teachers and children from the other group did not diminish. It appeared that direct contact between people of unequal status, combined with indirect contact between the two equal status groups of kindergarten children, had a positive effect. This could be partly due to the intensity and the positive contact with the kindergarten teacher from the outgroup, as well as to the institutional support for the intervention program.

The reader is taken on a journey spanning some 30 years devoted to the author's involvement in practicing, teaching and studying peace education. The core concept in this journey is active "bystandership," which implies the capacity to disengage from our ethnocentric narratives and perceptions and to face the emotional challenges of acknowledging narratives that contradict our collective assumptions about the conflict and accept the moral obligation to address our contribution to violence. The author describes her non-professional as well as her professional activity in academia of participating, initiating, teaching and facilitating peace education projects. She describes inter and intra-group encounters and attempts to identify the limitations and opportunities of each type. Finally, some research methods and results of recent studies in peace education, especially regarding perceptions of collective narratives, are presented and discussed.

The present study examines parental attitudes toward bilingual and peace-promoting education at a school in Israel, and how these affect the behaviors and perceptions of their children studying there. The questions of interest were: (a) what are the parents' perceptions of and attitudes toward the bilingual and peace-promoting education? (b) Are these attitudes in line with the school's ideological framework? (c) How might parental perceptions and attitudes affect the success of the educational endeavor and the children's experiences at this school? Twenty-one Jewish and Palestinian Israeli parents of children attending a bilingual school in Israel partook in this study. A semi-structured interview was used to investigate the perceptions and attitudes of the parents, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that the majority of the parents sent their children to the school for reasons other than the peace-promoting and ideological framework it offers. Essentially, parents were looking to provide their children with a better education than the one available in their immediate residential area. Concurrently, it was found that the parental attitudes appeared to influence children's behavior negatively. The implications of these attitudes and the impact of the school towards peace promotion are discussed. (Contains 14 notes.)

The relationship between acculturation attitudes and attitudes toward collective narratives is explored in the context of Palestinian adolescents, citizens of the State of Israel. Employing Berry's acculturation framework, we expected that approaching the hegemonic Israeli Jewish culture would be related to higher acceptance of its collective narrative concerning main historical events. We further expected that retaining the Palestinian culture would be related to higher acceptance of the Palestinian narrative of the same events. Data were collected from a sample of 365 teenagers in six Israeli Arab high schools. Generally, the results tend to support our hypotheses regarding relationships between acculturation and attitudes toward collective narratives. Majority of the adolescents endorsed a separation strategy and expressed rejection of the Israeli Jewish collective narrative while endorsing the Palestinian one. The findings suggest that acculturation attitudes may be composed of different behavioral, cognitive, and emotional components, and those components may not be well correlated. (Contains 3 figures, 8 tables, and 2 notes.)

One of the major challenges for the process of peace building is to overcome the rigid structure of the socio-psychological repertoire that accompanies it. Our longitudinal study examined one element of this repertoire among Jewish and Arab adolescents in Israel: the cognitive legitimacy and the emotional reactions toward the historical narrative of the opponent. We focused our question on the impact of the socio-political context and the role of the violent reality in the development of these perceptions among youth. Data were collected in four stages (1999-2000, 2002, 2004, and 2007) among various samples of Arab and Jewish high school students (10th and 12th graders). The results showed that among the Jewish adolescents, the readiness to legitimate Palestinian narratives significantly decreased during violent periods. Among the Arab students, the impact of their difficult status as a Palestinian minority in the State of Israel is reflected in their relatively high level of readiness to accept both narratives. The results are discussed from social, cultural, and developmental perspectives with a focus on the role of the conflictual reality itself in the development of the socio-psychological repertoire among youth. (Contains 3 notes and 3 tables.)

This study examined factors contributing to the achievements of Israeli Bedouin and Jewish students in an Israeli college for teacher education. The study employed Tinto's model and its core concepts of academic and social integration as main explanatory factors for student achievement in an academic institute. Background characteristics were also suggested as potential predictors. Data were collected in an Israeli college for teacher education from 82 Israeli Bedouin and 160 Jewish students at three points in time. Effects of each variable, as well as interaction effects between independent variables (such as socioeconomic background, entrance data) and intermediary variable (social and academic integration) in relation to the dependent variable (achievements) were analysed. Patterns of factors related to achievements of the two groups were compared. The main explanatory variables were matriculation mean grades (14%) and gender (18.3%). A significant interaction effect was found between group and social integration, meaning that only in the Israeli Bedouin group did social integration have a significant effect. Considering the Israeli Bedouin group alone, the matriculation score explained 20% of the variance, gender explained 6.2%, and the rationale for occupational choice explained 5.1%. The results are discussed in the framework of the institutional context and the cultural background of the two groups, also suggesting the need to examine possible institutional actions relating to these findings. (Contains 6 tables and 1 figure.)

Research in the field of intergroup relations has developed considerably over the last two decades, influenced by events and by the historical zeitgeist. We suggest applying an interactional way of dealing with intergroup encounters, which emphasizes the situational macro-context (political, historical and social) in which the contact takes place. Employing this approach, the impact of the social-political context on the characteristics of two encounters in which Jewish and Arab Israeli students met to deal with the Israeli-Arab political conflict was examined. The workshops took place within two completely different political contexts. The first workshop was at the time of peace talks, following the Oslo Accords (1996-1997), the second during the "al-Aksa Intifada" (2001-2002). The discussions were recorded and fully transcribed. The two workshops were compared using a typology for classification of the developmental process of discourse between groups. The analysis revealed that during the peace talks "ethnocentric discourse" was the dominant speech category, characterized by two monologues that do not meet. In the second workshop dialogic categories characterized by sharing of feelings, listening to the "other" and making an effort to understand how reality looks from his/her perspective were salient. The research findings are discussed with regard to the paradoxical impact of the political-social context on discourse in small groups. The findings give a new understanding of the role of small intergroup meetings against the background of violent reality in an intractable conflict. (Contains 2 figures and 3 notes.)

Examined a theoretical framework concerning cultural patterns labeled individualism and collectivism in regard to Israeli-Jewish and Palestinian-Arab high school students. Student surveys based on values, historical interests, and attitudes toward conflict resolution indicated that both groups were more collectivist than individualistic, though Palestinians emphasized an in-group collectivist orientation more than Israelis. (SM)

We compared sense of coherence (SOC) among Bedouin women in polygamous with those in monogamous marriages. SOC is a global orientation toward life as comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful, and is derived from generalized resistance resources that promote effective coping in stressful life situations. Strong SOC may be a resource for strengthening resilience and promoting health. We administered questionnaires to 464 Indigenous Arab Bedouin women (ages 18–49 years) in 2008–2009 using the 13-item SOC questionnaire. Contrary to our hypothesis, SOC was higher among women in polygamous compared to monogamous marriages. Husband's education, husband's abandonment of the household, living in unrecognized villages, and low mastery (perception of one's ability to control life situations) were associated with higher SOC. These results might suggest that polygamy may provoke new coping mechanisms among women as they reappraise life amidst low mastery, accept cultural norms, and marshal new resources, thereby increasing key elements of SOC, including comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness. Interventions and services seeking to empower women in polygamous marriages should build on their resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Higher sense of coherence (SOC) has been associated with lower depression in Western societies; however, it is not clear whether this association manifests similarly in non-Western cultural contexts. Aims: To examine the associations between different levels of SOC and depressive symptoms (DS) among indigenous-minority Arab Bedouin women in Israel and explore possible explanatory variables for this association. Methods: We conducted face-to-face interviews with 464 women (aged 18-49 years). DS was measured based on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. We used the SOC-13 questionnaire and conducted path analysis using Structural Equation Modeling to examine the contribution of two levels of SOC (low/high) to predict DS beyond psychological resources and socioeconomic position. Results: The mean score of SOC was 3.42, standard deviation (SD) = 1.15. While high SOC (mean = 4.38, SD = 0.66, range = 3.5-6.38) was positively and significantly associated with DS ( r = 0.46), SOC was not associated ( r = 0.02) with DS in the low SOC group (mean = 2.4, SD = 0.56, range = 1-3.42). Conclusions: Relationships between high versus low SOC and DS among Bedouin women differ from those found in Western societies. This raises questions about the use of SOC as a universal tool in different cultural contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]