“He too will become a nation and he too will become great”: The information needs of the “Bnei Menashe” immigrant community in Israel as capability

Abstract

The “Bnei Menashe” are a marginalized community that immigrated from India to Israel. The community has diverse information needs, yet they are characterized by difficulties that prevent them from acquiring vital information. In this study, we utilized Sen’s (1993) “capabilities approach” as well as Friedland et al. (2012) “critical information needs” for the identification of the Bnei Menashe’s information capabilities, and the ways in which they answer them. The study was conducted using semi-structured individual in-depth interviews. The findings of the study relate that the Bnei Menashe succeed only partially in realizing the capability of being informed. This is a result of the partial technological exclusion that characterizes the community. This is a first-of-its-kind study, as the Bnei Menashe have not been studied methodically. Furthermore, the utilization of the capabilities approach represents a major contribution to existing communication theories, as the approach allows for a more wholesome understanding of the role of information and communication technologies in society.

The Capability ‘To Be Secure’: Media Coverage of African Asylum Seekers During Covid-19 in Israel

“…Israel is considered an immigrant country, receiving an average of 25,000–30,000 immigrants a year ( Central Bureau of Statistics 2018 ). However, its national immigration policies encourage only the immigration of Jewish immigrants to Israel through the ‘Law of Return’ and special absorption benefits ( Shomron and Schejter 2019 ). It is not unusual for countries and the media in those countries to treat migrants differently based upon their unique characteristics ( Cooper et al 2020 ).…”

The mediated discourse and voice of euthanasia: the Israeli media as a case study

“…‘To be secure’ refers to the mediated advocation for people’s rights and safety (Jacobson 2016, 799; Nussbaum 2011, 33–34; Sen 1983, 36). ‘To be informed’ refers to people’s accessibility to vital information and news (Bardoel and d’Haenens 2008, 343; Hesmondhalgh 2018, 151-156; Sen 1999, 8–9; Shomron and Schejter 2019, 4-5). ‘Identity and belonging’ refers to the mediated depictions of culture and diversity influencing how people perceive themselves and others (Bardoel and d’Haenens 2008, 343; Gerbner and Gross 1976, 172–94; Schejter 2009, 24-26; Sen 1993, 30–50; 2005, 151–63; Tuchman 1979, 528–42).…”

“…First, the topic of euthanasia itself is one that pertains to quality of life. Second, the analysis of the media’s role through the capabilities approach—capabilities refer to what a person can be or do and represent quality of life (Sen 2005, 151-63)—asserts that people’s ability to use the media for their own needs represents in itself quality of life (Shomron and Schejter 2019, Shomron and Schejter 2020). Thus, this study sets out to fill the aforementioned gaps and reveal the media’s role regarding euthanasia.…”

Broadcast Media and Their Social Network Sites: The Case of Palestinian–Israeli Representations and Capabilities

“…Indeed, the successful utilization of information and communication technologies is contingent on access to technology (Epstein et al 2011) including device opportunities and maintenance expenses (Van Deursen and Van Dijk 2019), digital literacy (Eshet 2004), and internal and external properties such as literacy, culture, and beliefs (Ganayem et al 2009; Shomron and Schejter 2019). These characteristics tend to correlate with inequalities that exist outside the virtual sphere such as low income, ethnicity, and gender (Helsper 2012).…”

“…We identified these capabilities by listing ascribed media functions appearing in the literature and in media legislation and grouping them into distinct capabilities by identifying common denominators. Many of the capabilities we formed had been previously identified in the literature: "being secure," "pleasurable entertainment" (Nussbaum 2011), "civil participation" (Hesmondhalgh 2016a), "voicing" (Couldry 2010), and "being informed" (Shomron and Schejter 2019). Although Sen (2005) disapproved of creating lists of capabilities, fearing it would impose an external will on individuals, the creation and utilization of a capabilities list is essential in this study for implementing comparisons between the two types of media.…”