Arab and Jewish Students' Attitudes towards Multiculturalism in Israel: The Moderating Role of Ethnic Identity (original) (raw)
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Multicultural Learning and Teaching, 2014
The present research investigates the differences in attitudes toward multiculturalism and the level of ethnic identification among Arab and Jewish students in Israel. In addition, ethnic group effects on the relationship between the two variables were examined. Based on a sample of 142 college students, the findings indicated that Arab students showed more positive attitudes toward multiculturalism and a higher level of ethnic identity. Furthermore, the ethnic group had a significant effect on the relationships between ethnic identity and multiculturalism. For Jewish students the effect of ethnic identity on overall multiculturalism was significantly negative, while for Arab students it was positive, but not significant. These findings stress the importance of understanding the college multicultural climate at both interpersonal and institutional levels and of assessing its impact on both dominant and non-dominant culture students.
Multicultural Intensity: The Case of Jewish and Arab Students
ISRN Education, 2012
This paper introduces a new methodology for measuring multicultural levels/intensity based on a study on attitudes towards multiculturalism conducted among college students in Israel. We developed an innovative methodological tool, "multicultural intensity," that is composed of 8 different scales: the presence of two nationalities and cultures in the college; social friendships between Arabs and Jews on campus; studying in joint classes; ways of providing assistance to students for whom Hebrew is not their mother tongue; legitimization to deal with political and social topics within the academy; classroom curriculum; multicultural tools; reality and political views toward the Arab minority in Israel. We found that Arab and Druze groups manifested more support for multicultural policies than Jewish groups. The paper suggests that "multicultural intensity" will enable researchers and practitioners to collect knowledge as to the success/failure of multicultural policies and programs among various audiences and subsequently could improve their implementation.
Higher Education, 2013
The purpose of the present study is to investigate the factors which affect attitudes towards multiculturalism among Jewish and Arab graduate students who experience intercultural learning in an Israeli-Jewish academic college of education. In Israeli society, it is in higher education institutions where young people from different ethnic groups first encounter the 'others'. This is due to the structure of the Israeli elementary and secondary education system, which is divided into Jewish and Arab segregated sub-systems. In contrast, the country's higher education institutions are open to everyone. The research population was composed of first and second year graduate students, all of whom were practicing teachers or involved in other educational work. Participants completed questionnaires and a smaller sample was also interviewed. All of the students are practicing teachers or involved in other educational work. Everyone perceived the college's sociocultural climate as an open and multicultural one in both years of study. However, these positive feelings characterized Jewish students to a larger extent than Arab students, while the socio-cultural aspect as well as the quality of the academic experience had a positive impact on multicultural attitudes primarily among Arab students. Thus, a multicultural climate is not enough to effect a positive change in entrenched attitudes toward multiculturalism. Multicultural education policy should also be reinforced through a formal academic curriculum, so as to set an example for ongoing social change which will further encourage graduate students-majority and minority alike-to implement their multicultural positive experiences in their own schools in the future.
European Journal of Educational Research
The research investigated whether there is a correlation between participation in a course entitled "Diversity and multiculturalism in the global era" as perceived by Jewish and Arab students in Israel and a change in the students' attitudes and behaviors and their performance of activities in a multicultural context in the education field. The course was part of a master's degree program in Policy and Administration in Education in an academic college in central Israel. Pre-course and post-course questionnaires were administered to the course participants. Participants were 528 students; 177 responded to the pre-course questionnaire and 351 responded to the post-course questionnaire. The research findings indicated a direct association between participation in the course and activities conducted in the education field. In addition, students' acquisition of knowledge on multiculturalism mediated the association between participation in the course and performance of multicultural activities in the education field. Differences were found between Jewish and Arab students' reports: Jews reported a multicultural academic atmosphere significantly more than Arabs. Contrastingly, Arab students gave significantly higher grades than Jewish students to reciprocal relations between the groups in the college and reported a more positive change in their attitudes towards the other group and towards multiculturalism and were more convinced that the course contributed to their multicultural thinking. These findings have theoretical and practical implications that can inform policymakers planning education for multiculturalism as a permanent component in academic programs, while responding to different sectors' cultural uniqueness to promote equality between them.
From theory to practice: Jewish and Arabs students in academia practice multicultural education
International Journal of Comparative Education and Development, 2021
PurposeThe research examined factors of academic studies as perceived by Jewish and Arab students in Israel, and changes in their implementation of activities in a multicultural context in the field of education, comparing between undergraduates studying for a BA in education and graduate students for MA in education and attending a course titled “Multiculturalism in the Global Era”.Design/methodology/approachThe findings are derived from a questionnaire distributed to Arab and Jewish students (N = 434), studying together in the Faculty of Education of one academic college in Israel. In total, 251 of them were graduate students, and 183 who were undergraduates.FindingsIt was found that insofar as the students from either programme acquired knowledge and tools regarding multiculturalism, they reported (1) more positive attitudes regarding the “Other” group and regarding multiculturalism, (2) implementation of a larger number of activities relating to multiculturalism in the field of ...
Religious Education
Living in a pluralistic society where groups are ethnically, nationally and religiously different and sometimes live in conflict with one another requires teachers to be prepared to deal with conflict-laden issues. In such societies, educational institutions in general and especially teaching colleges should not be ethnocentric but should acknowledge the experiences, cultures, and histories of different minority groups to educate for multiculturalism and to promote multi-cultural and inter-faith education. For this reason, the main purpose of this study was to investigate the manifestations of multiculturalism and multicultural and inter-faith education in two teaching colleges in Israel, one that belongs to the Arab minority and one that belongs to the Jewish majority. Seven senior staff members of each college were interviewed and asked about the way multiculturalism is demonstrated in their college and how multicultural and inter-faith education are expressed. The findings confirm that multicultural and inter-faith education have not penetrated all realms of activity in the two colleges and the gap existing between preaching multiculturalism and practicing it is still deep.
Ingroup and outgroup friendships and campus perceptions: Comparing Israeli Arab and Jewish students
Manuscript submitted …, 2007
There is a growing recognition of the impact of different ethnic groups on university campuses and the potential of multicultural universities to enhance equality and acceptance by promoting positive contact and relationships between the different groups (Neimann & Maruyama, 2005).The present study explored whether the nature of friendships with the ingroup or the outgroup is related to how students evaluate their university experience. The question was asked specifically within the context of belonging to a Jewish majority or to Arab minority on an Israeli university campus. This is particularly challenging when the groups on campus differ in nationality are involved in political conflict, as is the case in the University of Haifa where our research was conducted.
This paper summarizes the findings of a study conducted at two public colleges in Israel: the Academic College of Judea and Samaria (ACJS), Israel's largest independent public college, and the Western Galilee College (WGC), a much smaller institution an extension of Bar Ilan University. The paper is based on the analysis of a survey completed by 459 students. This study examined three aspects related to the climate of the institution, and the fabric of the interpersonal relations between these two groups of students: (a) Arab students' perceptions of equality and consideration for minority groups; (b) Students' perceptions of the relationships between the two groups; (c) Arab students' apprehensions stemming from their minority status. Findings highlight a complex, mainly positive reality. Considerable findings stand in contrast to prevalent public beliefs, and to the situation on other campuses in Israel. The important lesson of this study is that - despite differen...
The aim of this study is to examine the impact of encounters with the “other” on the construction of intercultural competence among Jewish and Arab graduate students at four Israeli colleges of education. Taking into account variables such as the perceived sociocultural and academic atmosphere at the college, as well as socio-demographic variables, we examined the influence of these encounters, both on the college campus and off of it, on three areas of intercultural competence: (1) knowledge regarding the “other;” (2) change in attitude towards the “other;” and (3) multicultural educational work and behavior in students’ home communities. Among educators from different educational disciplines, intercultural encounters can make the college a socialization experience in terms of multicultural knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. In addition to the college experience, other factors influencing intercultural competence are previous social interactions with the “other” and whether the student belongs to the minority or the majority in Israeli society (Arab or Jewish students). We concluded that in order to intentionally develop intercultural competence, it is necessary to carefully plan and design the curriculum in all disciplines of M.Ed. studies. This careful planning enables more significant encounters with the culture of the “other” to occur both formally and informally, possibly diminishing "us" and "them" attitudes.
Israeli academic institutions serve as an initial place of encounter between Arab and Jewish students. These populations belong to different national groupings and are in conflict outside the academic world. They have different faiths, economic-social-familial-personal histories, and academic backgrounds, resulting in different abilities to cope with their studies. The present study deals with the question of whether and to what degree an academic campus can serve as a place of encounter capable of modifying relationships between populations whose daily reality is affected by the nationalist conflict in which they are embroiled. The study seeks to examine whether and to what degree the background of Arab and Jewish students is connected to interpersonal interactions between the two populations within academic institutions. The sample-based research, comprised of 459 students from two public colleges, found that the academic campus is a significant factor in modifying relationships between minority and majority populations, when there is an institutional climate of equality and respect. Positive social-academic climate has a positive effect on students and fosters positive feelings on campus. However, the study also indicated that the minority still harbors various concerns, and a not insignificant number feel the effects of discrimination. An important conclusion is that despite all the differences, the national conflict, and the complexity of majorityminority relationships, on both campuses relationships between the two groups are characterized by a positive climate. Successful modification of Jewish-Arab relationships is expressed by Arab students' identification with the Israeli milieu, similar to their Jewish peers. The study emphasizes the significance of forming a comfortable institutional climate in order to constructively absorb minority groups.