Arab Community Research Articles

Gender, mobility, and Socio-Economic differences among Arab communities in Jordan and Israel

Mobility is a multifaceted phenomenon intertwined with the allocation of material and social resources in modern societies. Studies conducted in Western contexts have linked limited mobility to other forms of social marginalization, often based on class and gender divisions. However, little is known about gender factors shaping mobility patterns in non-Western contexts, especially the Arab world. I investigate this issue in a Jordanian community (n = 200) and compare the results to three Arab communities in Israel (n = 300). These communities share a language and culture but have developed in different institutional contexts. The results show that men are more mobile than women in both countries, but the nature of gendered differences and their magnitude varies. Israeli-Arab women are more likely to shop than their male counterparts, but this pattern is reversed in Jordan. Jordanian women are more educated than Israeli women but are less likely to work. Therefore, demographic and socio-economic factors have a significant effect on the diversity of daily activity patterns; nonetheless, these variables are not sufficient to explain these gender disparities. Thus, effective policy interventions must be considered. Increasing job opportunities within the towns along with efficient PT may be considered more appropriate for women from a normative perspective but at the same time might allow women to maintain their traditional household chores.

“Not understanding but feeling guilty at the same time”: The peritraumatic responses of CSA survivors from the Muslim Arab community in Israel

BackgroundStudies on child sexual abuse (CSA) have greatly contributed to theoretical and empirical developments, advancing policy and practice. However, studies on CSA in closed societies are still scarce. ObjectiveThe current study focuses on CSA in the Muslim Arab community in Israel while delving into the peritraumatic responses of survivors to CSA. Participants and settingTwenty-eight Muslim Arab survivors of CSA provided written testimonies for an independent inquiry. MethodsThe exploration of the Muslim Arab survivors' peritraumatic responses to CSA, according to their testimonies, was guided by an inductive thematic analysis and Braun and Clarke's (2006) six steps of analysis. ResultsThe results indicated that, as most of the abusive incidents were committed by an extended family member, the survivors experienced an inability to understand what had happened to them while simultaneously feeling guilt and self-blame. Furthermore, the survivors discussed feeling trapped by all of the systems and social expectations in their lives, leaving them feeling extremely lonely and with the understanding that seeking help and disclosing the abuse was not relevant for them. ConclusionThe discussion addresses the developments in the research on peritraumatic responses that require further examination. This includes top-down processes that might explain survivors' peritraumatic responses, which are not merely instinctual. In addition, when perpetrators are family members, survivors are expected to stay in contact with them, which demands enormous resources and survival strategies from the survivors.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Arabic Version of the Harris Hip Score

BackgroundThe Harris Hip Score (HHS) questionnaire has been translated and validated into many languages including Italian, Portuguese, and Turkish but not Arabic. The goal of this study was to translate HHS into the Arabic language with cross-cultural adaptation to include and benefit Arabic speaking communities as it is the most widely used instrument for disease-specific hip joint evaluation and measurement of total hip arthroplasty outcome. MethodsThis questionnaire was translated following a clear and user-friendly guideline protocol. The Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess the reliability and internal consistency of the items of HHS. Additionally, the constructive validity of HHS was evaluated against the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36). ResultsA total of 100 participants were included in this study, of which 30 participants were re-evaluated for reliability testing. Cronbach’s alpha of the total score of Arabic HHS is 0.528, and after the standardization, it changed to 0.742 which is within the recommended range (0.7-0.9). Lastly, the correlation between HHS and SF-36 was r = 0.71 (P < .001) which represents a strong correlation between the Arabic HHS and SF-36. ConclusionsBased on the results, we believe that the Arabic HHS can be used by clinicians, researchers, and patients to evaluate and report hip pathologies and total hip arthroplasty treatment efficacy.

2.M. Workshop: Empowering examples of high vaccination in minorities: learning from three underserved communities

Abstract Childhood vaccine uptake in most minority or ethnic communities in Europe is typically substantially and unacceptably lower compared to the general population. Ethnic, religious, or cultural minorities are more likely to encounter health system barriers to accessing health care services which are a major contributor to comparatively low vaccine uptake among these disadvantaged communities. Despite these challenges, some minority communities manage to achieve high uptake for childhood immunization sometimes higher than the general population in their respective countries. We have called these populations “empowering examples”. As part of RIVER-EU (Reducing Inequalities in Vaccine uptake in the European region - Engaging Underserved communities) an EU funded project aiming to improve access to vaccine services for children and youth, reducing inequality and improving vaccine uptake of HPV and MMR vaccination in underserved communities in Europe, we collected evidence on health system barriers and enablers to vaccination among underserved communities, including three empowering examples of underserved minority communities that achieve high vaccine uptake: the Somali community in Finland, the Arab community in Israel, and the Bangladeshi community in the United Kingdom. Understanding enablers to vaccination in these populations will help generate knowledge that will be translated to other populations in order to facilitate similar enablers, thus improving vaccine uptake. The main objective of this workshop is to share and discuss the preliminary findings related to health system enablers from these three “empowering examples.” The workshop will be structured in 3 presentations of 12 minutes each. Each empowering example will present preliminary findings from interviews and focus group sessions conducted with each minority community. Presentations will be followed by a moderated questions and answers session that will help the audience understand what factors have contributed high vaccine uptake in these populations and how they can be applied to others. Participants will be invited to share experiences from their own countries. Key messages • Accessibility, trust in the health care system, and perceived vaccine safety, were found to be powerful health system enablers to HPV and MMR vaccination among three underserved populations studied. • Normalizing vaccination as “just something you do” seems to be a common approach among the highly vaccinated minorities.

The Specifics of Teaching Social Work at Universities in Arab Countries

The processes of democratization, observed in recent years in the traditionally conservative Arab world, actualize the need for social workers, so the aim of the study was to study the features of teaching social work in Arab communities. Twelve universities with undergraduate programs in social work were randomly selected to compare these universities' curricula and social work programs and Ajman University. One conclusion is that social work programs in Arab communities should rely on traditional values of Islamic culture and legal literacy to achieve professionally necessary competence. Improvement of curricula and social work programs following international standards of the profession and taking into account the ethnocultural and religious characteristics of the Arab world will provide the Arab communities with highly qualified social workers who can competently provide support to the needy population categories.

The Representation of Feminist Ideology in the Emirati Science Fiction in Arabic

In comparison to Western science fiction, there is a lack in the publication of science fiction novels in Arabic. The absence of Arab women characters leads Nora Al Noman, an author from the United Arab Emirates, to write her novel Ajwan. The writer shows the significant role of this genre in dealing with issues related to Arab women. This article aims to examine the characterization of the major female lead, Ajwan, in an alternative world and how she represents the feminist ideas. It focuses on the reaction of the protagonist to the concept of gender in a patriarchal society. Feminism is used as a theoretical framework to analyze the subversion of gender roles. In a post-apocalyptic world, Ajwan, who belongs to the Havaiki, experiences otherness in Al Zafir, However, she challenges marginalization and misogynist thought. Consequently, the major female lead becomes the empowered woman in her Arab community

Community sadness: Clinical recommendations for working with grieving Arab American families.

Grief is a universal emotion, both layered and multidimensional. Grief in Arab cultures center around three ideals: culture, family, and religion. This paper examines the multiple different factors that influence Arabs during their grief, broken down into how different religions process and view death, along with the impact of Westernized ideals and other relationships. We explore physiological responses of grief, gender differences in expressing emotions, self-care practice, and utilizing religion as a strength. The rules and traditions surrounding grief and loss in Arab communities need to be acknowledged by clinicians and incorporated into their practice. Recommendations and future directions for clinicians to support Arab grief within the three lenses of culture, family, and religion.

The Relationship Between Dual Filial Piety and Caregiver Burden Among Arab Family Caregivers in Israel.

The current study examined the association between dual filial piety (FP) (reciprocal and authoritarian) and caregiver burden in adult children caregivers and attempted to understand the underlying mechanisms of these links. A cross-sectional study of 222 family caregivers of older relatives in an Arab community in Israel was performed. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews in Arabic using structured questionnaires. Bootstrapping with resampling strategies tested the multiple mediator model. Reciprocal and authoritarian components of FP were associated negatively with caregiver burden. The link with reciprocal FP was partially mediated by role engagement and relationship strain between caregiver and care recipient, whereas the link between authoritarian FP and caregiver burden was mediated by role engagement, but not by relationship strain between caregiver and care recipient. The study highlights the positive effect of cultural values (dual FP) and the underlying mechanisms working against the harmful effects of caregiving stressors in traditional societies, such as Arab-Israeli society. Practitioners should be sensitive to issues of family cultural values and family care among traditional populations. [Research in Gerontological Nursing, 15(6), 293-302.].

The Interpersonal Communication of Prophet Muhammad in Dialogic Hadiths

Prophet Mohammed’s interpersonal communication is an appealing topic to study not only the way the communication is conveyed but also the effectiveness of the communication. Though his assignment as a messenger of God was relatively short, around 23 years, he was able to communicate his Islamic messages (teachings) to the Arab community successfully. He turned the Arabs from rejecting and confronting Islam into accepting and defending it. There are factors contributing to this success, and one of them is his interpersonal communication skill. This study attempts to describe Mohammed’s interpersonal communication through a deep investigation into dialogic prophetic traditions (hadith). This study employs a descriptive-inferential method and a subjective communicative approach. The theory used in this study is that of interpersonal communication. The findings reveal five qualities supporting the effectiveness of Mohammad’s interpersonal communication in his dialogic hadiths. They are openness, empathy, supportive attitudes, positive attitudes, and equality.

The Impact of Education on Language Use in the Algerian Context

This research paper attempts to examine the impact of education on language use, i.e., highlighting the sociolinguistic variable, mainly that of education and age, and how it may affect the linguistic behavior in the Arabic Nedroma speech community as a sample population. Nedromi speakers, especially the new generation, tend to correct mistakes; they look at them as stigmatized features in their speech and thus, try to shift to Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). In this regard, the researcher attemps to determine the reasons behind such a change in linguistic behaviors essentially motivated by the influence of education. Methodological triangulation was used in this study. Data were collected through observation, questionnaire, and interview. Based on both quantitative and qualitative methods, the findings reveal that the choice of specific linguistic features by the individual is determined by the speaker’s age category, his level of education, and most importantly, his attitude towards specific linguistic characteristics.

Construction and Standardization of the Syrian Version of the Word Recognition Test for Children with Hearing Impairment

Background and Aim: This study aimed to construct and validate the test material of speech recognition test for children. Such a material helps in conducting the speech tests for native Arab children with Syrian accent. This work is a part of a complete project on preparing and validating the necessary materials for speech and central auditory processing tests for the Arabic Syrian community. Methods: In this cross-sectional comparative study, two sets of phonetically balanced monosyllabic word lists were constructed. The two selected 25-monosyllabic word lists were presented to 50 normal hearing participants with the age range of 5 to 10 years. Tests of validity and reliability were conducted to assure the suitability of this material for the word recognition test. The test was repeated for the same children after three weeks. Results: The two word lists have shown high face and content validity, Cronbach`s alpha coefficient was 0.79, 0.85 for the two lists respectively. Factor validity has shown that the test materials are one-dimensional, the first factor achieved 57.25 and 53.13 of the variance. Test- retest reliability (p&lt;0.001) and Intraclass Correlation Coefficients reliability (p&lt;0.001) were also significant. Conclusion: The data analysis shows that the Syrian version of the word recognition test has high degree of validity and reliability. Therefore, developing the Syrian version of the scale has good psychometric properties, which makes it appropriate for the local use. Keywords: Speech discrimination test; monosyllabic; arabic; syrian accent

Kritik Sastra Arab Pada Masa Jahilyah

This study discusses the phenomenon of Arabic literary criticism that occurred during the period of ignorance. By knowing the critical phenomena that existed during the jahiliyyah period, it will be known how the character of Arabic literary criticism at that time was. Literary criticism during the jahiliyyah period was still very simple, namely by determining good and bad or comparing works with one another based on their natural literary taste. The result can be seen in the phenomenon of Muallaqa&gt;t in which some of the best poems from various tribes are placed. The forms of literary criticism during the jahiliyyah period were generally in four forms, namely linguistic criticism, meaning criticism, musical criticism, and poet strata criticism. Linguistic criticism is criticism of the misuse of language. Meaning criticism is a criticism that judges the merits of a poem in terms of meaning. There are three basics in the critique of its meaning, namely its relevance to the life of the Arab community, the compatibility between the word and the meaning that shows it, and the aesthetic value or beauty of the meaning contained in the poem. Musical criticism is literary criticism seen from the good or bad standards of arud that exist in poetry. Criticism of the poet's strata is criticism based on the level of the poet during the jahiliyyah period.

Intimate partner violence prevention amongst Arab American young adults in Chicago: Implications for intervention development.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) rates in the Arab American community are high, and there are gaps in the understanding of young adults' perspectives on IPV and its prevention. The aims of this study are to describe Arab American young adults' perspectives on the design of IPV prevention programmes and to document and explore their understanding and experiences with IPV. This exploratory study was part of a larger community-based participatory mixed-method study (QUAL-quan) amongst Arabs in Chicago and focused on young adult participants (18-25 years). Participants (n=44) completed an IPV survey about IPV perpetration and victimization, dating violence norms, conflict management skills, gender stereotyping, and belief in the need for help. From four focus groups (22 participants), we explored Arab American young adults' perspectives on IPV prevention programme development. Participants supported the adaptation and development of a youth-centred IPV prevention intervention that is community-based, culturally informed, and inclusive of multiple Arab community stakeholders. The survey results indicated multiple experiences with psychological and physical dating violence victimization (76.3% and 47.2%) and perpetration (62.2% and 27%). Arab American young adults in Chicago are exposed to high rates of IPV. Community-based participatory approaches are needed to develop IPV prevention interventions that centre community needs. Intimate partner violence is a significant public health problem; nearly 1 in 4 women have experienced IPV at some point in their life, and about 70% of those experiencing IPV, experience their first victimization before the age of 25. Arab American young adults experience high rates of IPV victimization and perpetration, requiring urgent attention. Participants proposed various community-based strategies to develop IPV prevention programmes that include multiple community stakeholders. Community-based organizations and researchers, schools and religious institutions could establish collaborations to ensure the adaptation and development of community-informed IPV prevention programmes.

LAAMIYAT AL-ARAB: A GENETIC STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

Laamiyat al-Arab is a great literary work that was written during the Jahili Arabs, and received great attention from writers and linguists. However, the aspects of the values it contains and its relation to the social context that underlies Laamiyat al-Arabs’ work are not well-documented. Through Goldmann's genetic structuralism approach, the authors reveal the values, characters, and the internal and external factors generating the Laamiyat al-Arab literature. The results show that the lower class of Jahili Arab community, despite their life’s hardship and distress, could deliver noble values and characters of the marginalized people of its time. Further studies are of great necessity to investigate the contents of literary works other than Laamiyat al-Arab to get an actual picture of Jahili Arabs’ literature.

The Impact of the Hijab Concept on Place Attachment in the Arab Settlement of Kutorejo, Tuban

Hijab, in a general perspective, is a head covering used in Muslim women’s clothing. More intrinsically, the hijab refers to one of the concepts in Islamic teachings that affect the boundaries of the lives of women and men. It is also one of the essential aspects that shape settlement patterns in Arab communities. The concept of hijab is embedded in daily lives and forms a different way of performing activities between men and women. This paper aims to clarify the role of the hijab in identifying different place attachments between men and women. Places attached to men and women are intertwined differently and in nuanced and specific ways. The study used content analysis and provides empirical insights into how the tradition of hijab is closely related to the formation of different place attachments between genders. The paper observes how the phenomenon of maintaining religious and cultural practices in an immigrant community forms the basis for community place attachment and how an indigenous society tolerates it.

Training Teachers’ Perspectives on Teacher Training and Distance Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic

The study aims to examine the effects relating to long-distance teacher training during the Corona virus crisis on the professional development of training teachers, and the strategies used by training teachers in dealing with the pedagogical, technological, social and emotional challenge of student-teachers under these conditions. A survey that included 71 teacher-students who were active participants within the (AC) program was conducted, within the Arab community of the Israeli educational system. Findings suggest that the research participants are generally in favor of the old-fashioned, real-life, face-to-face teaching environment where reaction with students could be unlimited by virtual barriers or technical glitches and difficulties. Despite the technical and social challenges, and regardless of the fact that the great majority of the participants were in favor of the old, pre-pandemic system, training teachers view this method as an opportunity for further flexibility and diversity in teacher training.&#x0D; &#x0D; Received: 17 April 2022 / Accepted: 24 June 2022 / Published: 5 July 2022

“Introduction to multiculturalism”: an intercollegiate distance learning course - the Druze Arab case

ABSTRACT This case study aims to explore the experience of a group of religious Druze students in an advanced distance learning intercollegiate course on multiculturalism, that involved a distant learning platform and a virtual world (VW). Though 96 students from four different colleges and backgrounds took part in this intercollegiate course, this study focuses only on one group of twenty religious Druze students from one college. This group is of particular interest and significance since it is culturally detached from the Arab and Jewish communities in Israel. The qualitative data was collected by examining students’ reflections on the experiences they had in the VW during the distance learning course, their responses to the forum assignments as well as their reflections (video/open-ended questions) at the end of the course. The findings revealed three main themes that reflect the students’ self-exploration journey throughout the course. These themes relate to the students’ experiential, techno-emotional, and cognitive aspects of the learning experience throughout the course.

Arab Health Promoters’ Perspectives on Religious/Cultural Challenges to Adopt Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours among Arab Immigrants in Canada

Despite the importance of faith and cultural background in Arab immigrants’ lives, little is known about their role in preventing cardiovascular diseases. To understand the challenges among Arab immigrants related to acculturation and religiosity in adopting healthy lifestyle behaviours and managing stress, we conducted three face-to-face focus groups with 17 Arab health promoters who were members of the Canadian Arab Health Coalition. Averaging 80 minutes in length, the focus groups were conducted in Ottawa, Canada, in February and March 2018. Data were analyzed with an inductive thematic analysis approach; we identified four themes: “Culture first!”: dominant influence of home country culture; “Religiosity alone does not make you healthy!”: limited religious influence; “It is not easy!”: difficulties adapting to the Canadian lifestyle; and “We are not young!”: generational differences in adopting a healthy lifestyle. In brief, we found that some religious or cultural beliefs may be barriers to practicing physical activity, especially for women and older people. These barriers may be augmented with acculturative stress. Religiosity may also play an important indirect role in managing stress through socialization, family support, and the adoption of coping strategies. Younger people in Arabic communities appear to be more flexible in dealing with these religious/cultural issues.

جمالية الأفكار الاجتماعية والسمات الحضارية بين الروائيين: عبد الرحمن منيف وعزيزي الحاج عبد الله

Abdul Rahman Munif and Azizi Haji Abdullah were famous in their Arab and Malay communities for the abundance of their creative works, which were well received, and most of them were printed in many editions and some of them were translated into many languages of the world. The two novelists shared the same attitudes towards society and its reality. Their opinions, which arouse the interest of society and occupy public opinion, were found in their literary works. Each of them played an important role in raising the literary prose genre, especially the art of the novel, and contributed to revealing the realities of Arab and Malay society through their creative writing in novels. Both of them became famous in the Arab countries, and in Malaysia in particular, and in Southeast Asia in general. In addition, their novels left deep traces in the hearts of readers and attracted the attention of critics alike. Based on this, the researchers decided to study and analyze this issue, so they decided to compare the two novels: “Umm al-Nuzur (The Mother of the Vows)” and “Seorang Tua di Kaki Gunung (The Old Man on the Mountainside)” through the authors’ presentation of social ideas and cultural traits. The researchers rely on the approach of the American School of Comparative Literature, which focuses on the parallels and contrasts between the two novels. The study aims to show the creativity of the two novelists in formulating their novels and to reveal the points of agreement and differences between them. The study concluded that the two novels carry different social ideas and civilized features and there are common ideas among the novelists, who talk about the emergence of the rural environment and the duality of the idea between the two generations; parents and children, while the ideas on which they differ: the issue of marital authority, and the behaviour of religious men. We see that Munif dealt with the issue of marital authority; while Azizi revealed the topic of relationships based on affection and respect between spouses. Munif's stinging criticism of the misbehaviour of religious men appeared through his denigration, while Azizi praised the good reputation of a Muslim who adheres to the Islamic faith in his novel.

Tunisia's Success in Consolidating Its Democracy One Decade Post-the Arab Spring

The political turmoil in Tunisia at the end of 2010 opened the door to the democratization of Arab countries. This event, widely known as The Arab Spring, presented a dream for the Arab community to live a better life under a democratic system. However, after a decade of progress, only Tunisia has succeeded in consolidating its democracy among the Arab countries that have been affected by the political turmoil. This paper tries to read the success factors for Tunisia in consolidating its democracy by using the theory of democracy from Robert Dahl, Jack Snyder, and Georg Sorensen. This study concludes that democracy in Tunisia is already included in the category of matured democracy according to Snyder's theory or has entered the category in which a democratic culture has begun to develop (Sorensen) and fulfills the elements of a democratic state according to Dahl. This success is inseparable from internal and external factors. The internal factor is the foundation of a civil society built before The Arab Spring and the openness of viewpoints of political actors after the political upheaval. Meanwhile, the external factor is the absence of America as the dominant actor in Tunisia because Tunisia is considered a ferry country. Tunisia also proves that Islam and democracy can go hand in hand, and this is a refutation of the pessimistic views of the scholars on Islam and democracy that can go hand in hand.