Modifying Status Relations in Israeli Youth

Abstract

The theory of status characteristics and expectation states provided the basis for applying expectation training to Israel society. A baseline study identified Middle Eastern and Western ethnic background as low and high states of a diffuse status characteristic; Jews of Western background were more active and influential than Jews of Middle Eastern background in four-person groups engaged in a collective task. Next, 180 Jewish boys of Middle Eastern and Western ethnic background participated in an experiment to alter ethnic interaction patterns reflecting the status ordering of the larger society. Middle Eastern subjects were trained to exhibit a high degree of competence on either academic or nonacademic tasks, whereupon they instructed Western boys in these tasks. Four-person groups comprised of two members from each ethnic group engaged in two group decision-making criterion tasks. Analysis of the interaction data revealed that both academic and nonacademic training increased the amount of influence wielded by low status subjects in contrast with control groups. Generality of the application to mixed status classrooms is analyzed.