The role of the state and the pliability of tradition: Israeli Palestinian and Middle-Eastern Jewish women in the labor force. (August 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yonay, Yuval P.; Kraus, Vered
• Is Part Of: Research in social stratification and mobility. Volume 50(2017)
• Page Start: 29
• Page End: 39
• Publication Date: 2017-08
• Subjects: Palestinian women -- Mizrahi women -- Israel -- Female labor force participation -- State gender policy; Social mobility -- Periodicals; Occupational mobility -- Periodicals; Social status -- Periodicals; Social conflict -- Periodicals; Social classes -- Periodicals; Mobilité sociale -- Périodiques; Mobilité professionnelle -- Périodiques; Statut social -- Périodiques; Conflits sociaux -- Périodiques; Classes sociales -- Périodiques; 305.05
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rssm.2017.05.001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0276-5624

Abstract

Highlights: Both Palestinian and Jewish women from Arab societies were not likely to be gainfully employed. Palestinian women have joined the labor force much more slowly than Mizrahi women. The gap between Palestinian and Jewish women is very large among women without tertiary education. Even among Palestinian women with tertiary education, LFP has declined. Palestinian women face fewer employment opportunities due to discrimination and differential state policies. Abstract: This article deals with the question of why the labor force participation of Arab women in MENA region is the lowest among women from all other areas in the world by comparing three Arab Middle-Eastern groups in Israel—Mizrahi Jews who originated in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Muslim Palestinians, and Christian Palestinians. The article starts with a description of the differential treatment of the three Arab groups by the state, and then explores the impact of this differential treatment by analyzing official statistical data. The analysis shows that the pace of change in employment rates has been much slower among the two Palestinian groups than among Jewish women. The findings highlight the role of the state in determining the destiny of various groups. The state pressured Jewish women to enroll in modern institutions, providing them with better education and more work opportunities than offered the Palestinians. Comparing groups that shared a similar patriarchic culture at the outset but that evolved along separate routes thus demonstrates the importance of state policies in determining women's social standing.