Between biological age and social age: age of marriage and first birth among Arab-Palestinian women in Israel

Abstract

The gap between the perceived ideal age for major life events, and the age they actually occur, stems from cultural and structural constraints. These constraints, more restrictive in patriarchal societies, impose gender-based expectations in all aspects of life, affecting career opportunities and gender relations. Focusing on the Arab-Palestinian society in Israel, we used a questionnaire [n(men)=38; n(women)=82], and ‘the social survey 2019’ [n(men)=555; n(women)=574], to examine the perceived ideal age for women to marry, and the perceived importance of career pursuit before marriage. Our findings show that the social norms preserve conservative patterns. The gaps between social and biological time indicate that time in the context of society exerts effects of discipline and classification, and should be considered in the study of gender and family relations.