Arab Youth Involvement in Delinquent Behaviors: Exploring Hirschi’s Social Bond Theory from a Qualitative Perspective

Peer reviewed: TrueThe current study is based on Travis Hirschi’s social bond theory, arguing that the debut of delinquent behavior is a result of the weakening of the ties that bind people to society. According to Hirschi’s social bond theory, all youth have the potential to commit delinquent behaviors, but they are kept under control by their relationships with friends, parents, neighbors, teachers, and employers. These factors could serve as protective factors from involvement in crimes. Most studies of social bond theory have been conducted in Western countries among male adolescents using quantitative methods, including cross-cultural approaches. However, the ability of social bond theory to explain youth involvement in delinquency in non-Western cultures, especially conservative and authoritarian cultures such as the Arab one, has not been widely examined. This study aims to fill this gap by exploring youth involvement in delinquency using qualitative research on Palestinian-Arab youth in Israel. Addressing youth delinquency within the unique sociocultural, economic, and political situation of the Arab minority in Israel will help us examine the theory’s applicability to the explanation of deviant behavior in a variety of contexts.</jats:p

The Adoption of 'Silver' e-Health Technologies: First Hints on Technology Acceptance Factors for Elderly in Italy

Our study aims to reveal the factors (and their antecedents) affecting the adoption of technologies for health by senior citizen. In order to achieve a greater generalizability, our model is tested in relation to 4 types of technologies and in different cultural settings. Our research was developed according with a revised TAM model for silver citizens, where most of the variables are derived from an extensive literature review. Primary data were collected in a sample of Italian senior citizens and a Structural Equation Model was built and tested in order to analyze technology adoption in the aged population. Both external variables and social norms were found to be highly effective in explaining perceptions on technologies and adoption strategies