Bilingual Education and Practical Interculturalism in Israel: The case of the Galilee

Bilingualism in general, and hilingual education in particular, appears to be inherent to practical interculturalism, and vice-versa. Each area has been investigated separately, and connections have been made between interculturalism and education in general. However, no specific study has so far connected bilingual education with interculturalism. The aim of this article is to establish such a connection, deriving from both theoretical and practical issues. Insights from an ongoing project conducted by the Jewish-Arab Center (JAC) at the University of Haifa, concerning the relationship between bilingual education and practical interculturalism in the northern Galilee arc presented in this article. The paper presents theoretical consideration of bilingual education and interculturalism as a framework for understanding and evaluating the social changes that have taken place in the Galilee over the last decade, regarding socio-political relationships between the Arab-Palestinian and the Hebrew-Jewish communities in the regio

Israel's Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities Law: Current Status and Future Directions

Since the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act in the United States (1990), many countries have passed similar disability laws, shifting the focus from a social welfare approach to a human rights approach. Similarly, in 1998 the Israeli Knesset passed the first three sections of the new Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities Law (Employment, Public Accommodations and Commission for Equal Rights of Persons with disabilities), leaving seven additional sections for future legislation. However, a thorough examination of its implementation reveals that the law has been only partially implemented, and there is concern as to whether this legislation brings a significant change in employment and social opportunities for people with disabilities in Israeli society. The article reviews and discusses the matter and suggests possible future directions for disability rights legislation

Art and emotion processing among arab breast cancer survivors: An exploratory study

Art therapy (AT) has demonstrated potential for improving the well-being of breast cancer (BC) survivors, but limited research exists on emotion processing (EP) of Arab women in this context. Thus, this study delves into the relationship between EP and the art-making of Arab BC survivors in an AT group intervention to provide an in-depth understanding of their unique experience. We hypothesized that openly expressing emotions in the face of life-threatening events, such as BC, might be difficult for individuals from collective cultures with a strong emphasis on social harmony. We conducted a mixed-methods exploratory study (N = 62) with a visual analysis of 22 drawings and a textual analysis of reports from five art therapists. Positive correlations were observed between conservation values, acceptance of emotions, values, and artistic elements. Acceptance of emotions correlated negatively with space in drawing. Textual analysis of therapist reports revealed two themes—coping strategies and mixed emotions—corresponding to phenomena observed in the drawings. The women reported that art-making in a group facilitated access to their inner emotions, reinforced personal boundaries, and provided a safe space for addressing complex experiences. The AT group also offered socialization with women in similar circumstances. We conclude that AT provided these Arab BC survivors a culturally sensitive means of safely processing emotions through creative visual expression. Further research is needed to examine if AT is also helpful to BC survivors from other collectivist ethno-cultures.Foundation for the National Institutes of Health24 month embargo; first published 01 February 2024This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]