Work Satisfaction of Arab Social Services Employees in Southern Israel

The purpose of this study is to describe work satisfaction of Arab social services employees in Southern Israel, to compare it with work satisfaction of Jewish social services employees, and to ascertain if work satisfaction of Arab and Jewish employees is either similar or different. In the State of Israel, the national government which has a historical conflict with the Arab people has to approve all local administrations, policies, taxes, and budgets. In this study two hypotheses are posited. The first hypothesis states that work satisfaction of Arab social services employees who are controlled by administrative structures nominated by the Israeli government differs from work satisfaction of Jewish social services employees. The second hypothesis states that work satisfaction of Arab social services employees who are governed by an elected local administrative structure is somewhat similar to work satisfaction of Jewish social services employees. Forty four employees of Arab and Jewish social services departments filled out questionnaires which included five dimensions concerning work satisfaction. They were divided into three groups: Group A included 15 Arab social services employees of two nominated administrative structures; group B included 15 Arab social services employees of an elected local administrative structure; and group C included 14 Jewish social services employees. I The findings of the study lead to accepting both hypotheses. Work satisfaction among Jewish social services employees was 4.35 on a S-Point Scale, (1= strongly dissatisfied... J= strongly satisfied). Work satisfaction among Arab social services employees who are governed by an elected local administrative structure was 3.95. In comparison, work satisfaction among Arab social services employees who are controlled by nominated administrative structures was 3.65. The findings in this study indicate that administrative structures, whether elected or not, can increase or decrease work satisfaction of employees, and that Arab social services employees are less satisfied than Jewish social services employees under the administrative circumstances explained in this study. Implications and limitations of this study are discussed later in this paper

Overcoming Recruitment Challenges: A Pilot Study in Arab Americans

While diabetes prevalence and cardiovascular risk factors have been increasing among Arab populations worldwide, few studies of Arab Americans have been conducted because of the difficulty in recruiting Arab American participants. Cultural sensitivity and social awareness of different immigrant groups could ensure successful recruitment and retention in clinical studies. While the primary objective of our overall research project was to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Arab Americans, the focus of this article is to describe the methodology used to overcome challenges in recruiting and enrolling Arab Americans for a community-based study. We used novel methods, including open houses, religious-based venues, and engagement of community leaders, to encourage participation in this clinical and epidemiological study. A community-based approach involving community leaders and educators was useful in recruiting and encouraging participation in this study. As a result, we were able to collect clinical and anthropometric data from 136 Arab American men and women living in the Washington, DC, area and obtain information regarding their chronic diseases, mental health, and acculturation into U.S. culture and lifestyle. Our sampling methodology may serve as a model of a successful recruitment and enrollment strategy, and may assist other researchers to ensure sufficient power in future studies. Engagement of minority participants in clinical studies will enable the creation of targeted clinical intervention and prevention programs for underrepresented and understudied populations

Parent-Adolescent Conflict and Its Resolution in Monogamous and Polygamous Bedouin Arab Families in Southern Israel

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to compare whether children from polygamous family structures significantly differ from children from monogamous family structures with regard to the frequency of parent-child conflict, and (2) whether children from these two structures employ different patterns of family conflict resolution.To address these questions, a random sample of 212 high school students (60.8% monogamous) completed a self-administered survey. The results of MANOVA show no significant differences (p > 0.05) between these two structures with regard to the frequency of parent-child conflict. The results also show similar conflict management styles between these two family structures within each of the following five domains (privacy, school and career, money spending, going out and leisure, and physical appearance).This study is unique in that it is the first empirical research to be conducted in the field of conflict resolution among youth and adolescents in polygamous marital structures and therefore, further investigation is needed to replicate these results utilizing different cross-cultural populations practicing polygamy