Does It All Stay in the (Normative) Family? Attitudes About Family Among Female Jewish and Muslim Health-Profession Students in Israel

Abstract

Family individualization occurs, if at all, at a different pace and to a different extent in various societies and in various parts of society. Its impact has led to new scholarship in the social and caring professions, for which the concept of family is central in both professional education and practice. It is assumed that attitudes toward changing marital norms, family forms, and family relationships affect professionals' performance. This study, conducted in Israel in 2014 with 157 female health-profession students-102 (65%) Jews and 55 (35%) Muslim Arabs-focuses on attitudes about the family. Three patterns of attitudes emerged: individualized traditionalism-a mix of traditional and individualized attitudes, present among both the Jewish and the Muslim students; individualized autonomy, present mostly among the Jewish students; and classic traditionalism, present mostly among the Muslim students. Implications of these findings for the education and practice of health care professionals are also discussed.

The experience of late life remarriage and its meaning for older Arab Muslim widowed men in Israel

“…Although older widowers remarry due to modernization, the new wife's status within the extended family is shaped by patriarchal norms (Fogiel-Bijaoui & Halperin, 2018) such as: "She cannot be above my son". Such an attitude perhaps reflects the process of transition being experienced within Muslim Arab society, by responding to modernization along with preserving traditional familial and religious norms.…”

“…Although modernization has caused the Arab Muslim family in Israel to shift toward more individualist values alongside traditionalism (Fogiel-Bijaoui & Halperin, 2018), research referring to how the changes within the Arab Muslim family are shaping the lives of older adults within this society is scarce, though developing (e.g., Azaiza, 2013). Most research focuses on filial responsibility, support, caregiving (e.g., Ayalon, 2018; Khalaila & Litwin, 2012; Silverstein et al, 2013), and health (Schwartz et al, 2019).…”

“…At first, the change was mainly structural due to changes in employment resources, from family agriculture toward a diversity of jobs, while holding on to familism (Al-Haj, 1989; Kanaana, 1975) without adopting individualist values (Meler, 2016). Yet, although there are members of younger generations holding on to classic traditionalism (Fogiel-Bijaoui & Halperin, 2018), others—including young, educated women (Meler, 2016)—are gradually adopting values of self-determination associated with individualism, alongside traditionalism (Fogiel-Bijaoui & Halperin, 2018), despite disapproval of male or older authorities within the extended family (Meler, 2016). However, such change does not yet apply to the older and middle-aged generations who continue a lifestyle dictated to them by the gender contract in which all women are dependent on male members of the family.…”