Family Structure and Patterns and Psychological Adjustment to Immigration in Israel

Abstract

The research examines the relationship of family structure (couple-based or single-parent, with or without a grandparent) and family patterns (role division, decision making, and quality of marriage) with the psychological adjustment (satisfaction, and emotional state) of immigrants. The sample included 236 new immigrants from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia who came to Israel between 1990 and 2001. The findings indicate that the couple-based structure adapts better than the other family structures. The single-parent structure had a very low rate of adjustment. Presence of a grandparent was found to contribute to the adjustment of the single-parent family, but hinder the adjustment of couple-based families. The discussion addresses family resilience among immigrants and highlights the special difficulties of the single-parent family.

Intergenerational Differences in Parenting Styles of Mother–Daughter Dyads Among Immigrants and Native-Born Israelis

“…In light of the change evident among the second generation of immigrants from Ethiopia, it is interesting to note that the pattern of living together, which was widespread in the early years following immigration to Israel (Doron & Markovitzky, 2006), has been maintained by immigrants from the FSU, but not by Ethiopian immigrants. This may serve to corroborate the claim that those who came from a society with a significantly different culture to that of the host culture went through a larger transformation, a claim we will refer to when discussing the research variables below.…”

When Military Uniforms Change into Prison Uniforms: Military Prison Incarceration Among Ethiopian Soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces

“…PTSD has been associated with racism and can be characterized as (a) an emotional injury motivated by hatred or fear of a particular racial group; (b) a racially motivated stressor that exceeds a person's ability to cope; (c) a racially motivated, severe interpersonal stressor that threatens one's health; or (d) a serious interpersonal or institutional stressor motivated by racism that makes the individual feel isolated and unloved (Bryant-Davis & Ocampo, 2005;Loo et al, 2001). Immigration to Israel weakened the communal, traditional, religious Ethiopian Jewish family, forcing immigrants to redefine familial roles, and the distribution of authority in the family (Doron & Markovitzky, 2007). Labeling theory (Becker, 1963), which focuses on how social labeling contributes to the growth of crime and deviance, holds that although deviant conduct might originally be caused by a variety of factors and circumstances, after someone has been classified as deviant, they frequently experience new issues as a result of how others and themselves react to the stigma associated with the deviant label (Lemert, 1967).…”

“Maybe One Day I Will also be Almito”: Ethiopian Israelis, Naming, and the Politics of Immigrant Identity

“…Immigration to Israel forced Ethiopian immigrants to redefine their familial roles and redistribute familial authority (Edelstein 2016). As a result, the communal, traditional, and religious way of life and support system fell apart (Doron and Markovitzky 2007).…”