Cities In Israel Research Articles

Studies in psychoneuroimmunology: psychological, immunological, and neuroendocrinological parameters in Israeli civilians during and after a period of Scud missile attacks.

Twenty-two male volunteers in Jerusalem were subjected to a battery of psychological tests at the height of the Iraqi Scud missile attacks on Israeli cities during the 1991 Persian Gulf War and again after the cessation of hostilities. Venous blood samples were taken at each time point. The separated mononuclear cells and plasma were cryopreserved, and a spectrum of immunological and neuroendocrine assays were performed on the preserved samples. Psychological testing indicated levels of anxiety were higher during the war than they were after the war ended, and both anxiety and anger during the hostilities were significantly elevated in comparison with prewar data. During the war, specific war-related pressures were greater than everyday pressures, and problem-focused coping was more evident than emotion-focused coping. Natural-killer cell activity and cell-mediated lympholysis were significantly elevated during the war, as were plasma levels of adrenocorticotrophic hormone, neurotensin, and substance P. The only biological test parameter found to be reduced during the war period was mononuclear cell thymidine incorporated in nonstimulated cultures.

Lessons learned from a MAN

The Israeli network converted to using a Metropolitan Area Network back in February 1994. This MAN network provides coverage over 250 kilometers and 3 major cities in Israel. The seven Israeli universities use Ethernet ports to the MAN running at 10 Mbit/s. This paper describes the lessions learned from running such a nationwide Ethernet network.

Presence of Other Drivers as a Determinant of Traffic Violations

Nine hundred sixty drivers in two Israeli cities were observed as to whether they entered the intersection before the traffic light turned green, in the following four conditions: (a) no other cars were waiting at the intersection, (b) at least two cars were waiting behind the target driver, (c) one or two cars were waiting to the side(s) of the target driver, and (d) at least two cars were waiting behind each car in the first row. The smallest proportion of traffic violations occurred among the solitary drivers, and the largest proportion occurred among the drivers who had other drivers at the side(s) and to the back. The women tended to be less affected by the presence of other drivers than the men did.

Walk‐through surveys for child labor

Child labor is increasing in both developing and developed countries. Walk-through surveys were used to identify children, aged 8-15 years, working in six sites in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the largest cities in Israel. Of the 45 children who were interviewed, 20 were Jewish Israeli born, 19 were recent Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union, and six were Arabs from Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. The majority of children were either too young for employment, according to the Israeli Child Labor Laws, and/or receiving less than the legal minimum wage. Many were performing physical labor that might be expected to interfere with normal growth and development. Many of the children had visible signs of impaired physical health. Some were subjected to physical and/or verbal abuse. Walk-through surveys are recommended as a tool for routine use for surveillance of hazardous working conditions, case-finding, and evaluating the efficacy of preventive measures. The World Health Organization recommendations are emphasized to eliminate hazardous working conditions and to provide on-the-job health and social services to working children.

Beneficiaries from federal transfers to municipalities: The case of Israel

In this paper we have shown which variables affect the size of grants given by the government to cities in Israel. We have also shown that aside from demographic variables, which alone account for a very large portion of the variance, there is also a political residual effect, where cities with mayors who are members of the “in” political party fared better than other cities. This effect is felt mainly through the general, and not the earmarked, portion of the grant, and was more prevalent when the Likud was in power than when Labor ruled.

Paths to Ownership of Small Businesses Among Immigrants in Israeli Cities and Towns

This paper examines the role of location and ethnicity in paths to entrepreneurship among immigrants in Israel. focusing on differences between immigrants of Eastern (Middle Eastern and North African) and Western (European and American) origin, and between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan locations. Analysis is based on census data for cohorts of immigrants defined by age and year of immigration and on a survey of blue-collar and distribution small businesses. The combination of a population of Eastern origin and peripheral location created the most restricted paths to entrepreneurship. These paths were characterized by a high dependency on kinship and social networks for advancement through blue-collar and distribution self-employment opportunities in locations where such opportunities and supportive networks were least available.

Public Welfare Workers' Knowledge Of Group Dynamics

Abstract To address the question of what social workers employed in public welfare know about group dynamics, which is related to group work, a survey research study was conducted in a major city in Israel. The study's findings showed that in regard to groups the social workers' prior course work, knowledge base in and use of theory, practice experience, and peer consultation were modest. Furthermore, the social workers received little support for studying group dynamics and little inservice training was available. The findings of the study are consistent with those of related studies of social work practitioners' knowledge. The study points to a need for better education and training in public welfare social work in the area of knowledge about group dynamics.

Israeli Democracy at the Crossroads: A Crisis of Non-governability

THROUGHOUT THIS CENTURY, THE STRUGGLE FOR AND consolidation of Jewish territorial sovereignty in the ancient Land of Israel has been characterized by two complementary processes: waves of Jewish immigration from throughout the diaspora, and a succession of violent conflicts with Israel's Arab neighbours. Both of those processes were at work during 1990 — 91 when Israel became reluctantly involved in the Gulf war while also having to cope with an influx of hundreds of thousands of Jews seeking escape from the crumbling Soviet empire, as well as a few thousand emigrants from Ethiopia and from South America. For many Israelis, the surrealistic spectacle of immigrants being greeted at Ben-Gurion Airport with gas-masks designed to protect them from the Iraqi Scud missiles raining down on major Israeli cities, represented highly dramatic evidence of the fulfilment of Zionism's aspirations.

Community Support In Israeli Kibbutz And City Families Of Children With Disabilities: Family Climate And Parental Coherence

The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of community support on families of disabled children. Families were investigated in two environments: in the Israeli kibbutz, where resources are provided by the community according to needs, and in the Israeli city, where the family system must cope individually with its increased needs for resources. Perceptions of family climate and sense of coherence were studied among two groups of parents with disabled children (43 kibbutz families and 48 city families) and were compared with those among two groups of control families with nondisabled children (49 kibbutz families and 51 city families). The comparison of parental perceptions revealed significant differences. Parents of disabled children in the two environments expressed a lower sense of coherence and viewed their family climate as less supportive and as providing less opportunities for intellectual and leisure activities than the control group. The discrepancies between the fathers' and mothers' scores were greater among the parents of handicapped children than among the control parents, in family cohesion, achievement orientation, and control. The lack of the expected mediating impact of additional resources in the kibbutz environment suggests that future research should focus on the subjective meaning of support. These results call for interventions geared toward empowering parents to develop family environments that foster the sense of coherence among its members.

Worker equality and adult development: The kibbutz as a developmental model.

Adults' social status, particularly their occupations, is a powerful predictor of their level of moral and ego development. This association's inevitability was tested by examining the relationship of personal development with social status among 3 groups of workers. Results showed that kibbutz workers' moral and ego development were not significantly associated with educational, occupational, or social class standing, but that Israeli city and North American workers' moral and ego development were significantly associated with all measures of social status. In further contrast, work complexity was significantly associated with both moral and ego development only for kibbutz workers, suggesting that they engage in jobs that are appropriate to their psychological development without creating social inequality. Implications for developmental theory and workplace research are considered.

Worker equality and adult development: The kibbutz as a developmental model.

Adults' social status, particularly their occupations, is a powerful predictor of their level of moral and ego development. This association's inevitability was tested by examining the relationship of personal development with social status among 3 groups of workers. Results showed that kibbutz workers' moral and ego development were not significantly associated with educational, occupational, or social class standing, but that Israeli city and North American workers' moral and ego development were significantly associated with all measures of social status. In further contrast, work complexity was significantly associated with both moral and ego development only for kibbutz workers, suggesting that they engage in jobs that are appropriate to their psychological development without creating social inequality. Implications for developmental theory and workplace research are considered.

THE EFFECTS OF NEEDS, ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS AND TEACHERS' CHARACTERISTICS ON JOB SATISFACTION IN KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS

The purpose of this study is to (a) identify and assess perceived professional needs of kindergarten teachers, (b) identify perceived professional needs, organizational factors and teachers' characteristics which significantly discriminate between “satisfied teachers” vs. “dissatisfied teachers” and (c) assess their relative contribution to the discriminant function. Ninety‐three female kindergarten teachers from one school district of a major city in Israel participated in the study. Factor analysis yielded five factors collectively accounting for 62.4 percent of the explained variance. These factors — esteem, autonomy, self‐actualization, security and social — correspond to Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Results indicate that teachers are most satisfied on the two lower needs — security and social — and are less satisfied on higher needs — esteem, autonomy and self‐actualization. Results obtained from the discriminant analysis demonstrate the significant role of the three higher needs — age, teaching experience and organizational complexity — in differentiating between satisfied and dissatisfied kindergarten teachers.

PRINCIPALS' LEADERSHIP STYLES AS CHANGE FACILITATORS IN CURRICULAR RELATED ACTIVITIES

The present study is concerned with assessing the factors which affect principals' roles as change facilitators in the area of curricular innovation. It is designed to identify the prevailing modes of principals' change facilitator leadership styles in curricular related activities and to estimate the relative predictive ability of policy, strategy (i.e. values), organizational and background factors in explaining the variance of these leadership styles. A random sample of 69 principals from the school district of one of the largest cities in Israel participated in the study. Three mutually exclusive modes of principals' change facilitator leadership styles — Responder, Manager and Initiator — emerged from the analysis. The totality of the factors in the research model explained 20, 31 and 48 percent of the variance respectively in the three styles. Results indicate that background and organizational factors contribute relatively more in explaining the variance in these modes than policy and strategy factors.

Divorce in the kibbutz: Past and present

In the kibbutz today, there are no ideological or economic barriers to prevent a couple from deciding to divorce. Both husband and wife are assured continued economic security and equal opportunities for co-parenting, thus reducing fears of disruption in the daily contact with the children. In spite of these favorable circumstances, marital breakups in the kibbutz are less frequent than in the larger cities in Israel. In recent years, however, at a time when a stronger and more intensive family life has gained legitimacy within the kibbutz structure, there is a marked tendency toward a rise in the rate of divorce. In this article we analyze the possible causes of the variations in the frequency of divorce within the kibbutz framework.

SIMILARITY AND DISSIMILARITY IN VALUE PATTERNS OF ISRAELI KIBBUTZ AND CITY ADOLESCENTS

As part of a larger study on value patterns in Israeli adolescents, a Hebrew version of the Rokeach Value Survey was given to a sample of 160 Jewish urban and kibbutz subjects from State (nonreligious) and Religious State Schools. City subjects were more materialistic and achievement‐oriented in their value patterns, while kibbutz subjects emphasized values related to self‐actualization and interpersonal relationships. Religious students stressed both orthodox‐religious and national values, while subjects from State schools preferred values of personal wellbeing. With the sole exception of the urban nonreligous sample, boys and girls were very much alike in their value patterns. In terms of instrumental values, kibbutz‐city and religious‐nonreligious intergroup differences were relatively small: however, with regard to terminal value patterns large intergroup differences were found. The results can be explained by the existing differences in socialization practices and life styles in the four subcultural milieus.

Adult outcomes of high-risk children: differential effects of town and kibbutz rearing.

We conducted a followup study 15 years after the initial examination of 46 of the Israeli children at risk for schizophrenia (index cases) and 44 of the control children. Thus, we were able to contact and examine 90 of the surviving 99 subjects of the investigation. Half of the subjects had grown up in the communal child-rearing setting of a kibbutz, and half had been raised by their own parents in cities in Israel. The kibbutz-index cases, at average age 25, show the highest incidence of psychiatric disorder. Environmental factors that may have led to this outcome are discussed.

Long-term multivariate prediction of migration patterns

This paper using 1977-1981 data gathered from the Central Bureau of Statistics examines the effect that 4 social indicators have on in-migration and out-migration rates of 56 Israeli cities with a population of 5000 or more and over a 5 year period. In response to previous work done by Berman and Eaglstein in 1983 this study reveals possible differential changes in the predictive structure of these indicators over time. The 4 social indicators: crime rate percent unemployment population size and distance of a city from a major population center were entered into 2 stepwise regressions along with a dependent variable of the in-migration rate and another of the out-migration rate. The results reveal that none of the 4 social indicators reliably explain long term in-migration patterns. However crime rates unemployment and distance significantly and differentially increase prediction ability of long term out-migration patterns. Of the 4 indicators tested crime proves to be the most consistent predictor of out-migration. Contrary to previous findings unemployment rates and distance of a city from a major population center reveal no predictive power with respect to in-migration. With all 4 social indicators some have short term influences and some have longer term effects. The study results provide a useful tool for gaining an understanding of long term effects on migration patterns and can be of value for long term social planning.

An empirical study of population density gradients and their determinants.

Journal of Regional ScienceVolume 23, Issue 4 p. 529-540 AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF POPULATION DENSITY GRADIENTS AND THEIR DETERMINANTS Gershon Alperovich, Gershon Alperovich Associate Professor of Economics, Bar-Ilan University, Israel.Search for more papers by this author Gershon Alperovich, Gershon Alperovich Associate Professor of Economics, Bar-Ilan University, Israel.Search for more papers by this author First published: November 1983 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9787.1983.tb01008.xCitations: 27AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume23, Issue4November 1983Pages 529-540 RelatedInformation

The impact of social environment and sex on adolescent social values: A comparison of the kibbutz and the city in Israel

AbstractThe present study compares the effects of two different socialization environments—the Israeli kibbutz and the city—on the social values held by 16‐17 year‐olds. A total of 352 boys and girls, 195 porn the city and 157 porn the kibbutz, filled out a specially prepared thirteen‐item questionnaire on social values. The results revealed the existence of four factors underlying these values: self‐oriented concerns (factor 1), other‐oriented concerns (factor 2), reliance on innate spiritual capacities (factor 3), reliance on physical and productive capacities (factor 4). Significant differences on factors 1 and 3 were uncovered for the kibbutz and the city subjects, while boys and girls differed significantly on factors 2 and 4. The findings were discussed in light of the differences in educational systems between the kibbutz and the city, and in light of sex‐role differences characteristic of Western society in general.

Determinants of urban population density functions: A procedure for efficient estimates

Several procedures have been offered in the literature to analyze the determinants of urban population density functions. A major shortcoming of almost all procedures is that they utilize only one observation for each urban area in the sample. Considering the limited number of urban areas in each sample the estimates derived based on these procedures are inefficient. This paper proposes a further procedure which utilizes all the available observations on densities thereby leading to more efficient estimates. Confirmation of our basic hypotheses is achieved applying the procedure to data from cities in Israel.