Cultural aspects of resiliency in the case of political violence: Reflections of Israeli young adults
by Miller, Amy Ilana, Psy.D., ALLIANT INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, SAN FRANCISCO BAY, 2009, 112 pages; 3377446

Abstract:

This study explores the relationship between resilience and culture in the case of political violence in Israel. Unstructured interviews were conducted with 10 Israeli Jewish young adults living in the United States. The research was approached from a social constructionist viewpoint, which assumes that successful adaptation is dependent on meaning drawn from the individual and social context. Participants were asked to reflect on childhood experiences including at least one potentially traumatic event. Findings point to three clusters that included common themes. The first cluster was collective support and collective responsibility with themes family, community, responsibility to nation, humor/fun, remembering and honoring the dead and direct social support through talking about feelings, tension between duty to collective versus self and, through difficulties with shared mood and anxiety. The second strongest cluster was resilience through avoidance, included the themes adjusting expectations, accepting 'What can you do?', avoidance of talking and expressing feelings, avoidance of panic and anxiety, minimizing disruption by keeping to routines and getting back to normal, and keeping perspective by comparing to something worse. The third cluster, resilience through active engagement included the themes actively seeking practical information, staying alert and actively strategizing for self-protection, and actively participating in government and military security procedures. These clusters were discussed in terms of collectivism, sense of purpose, and active and repressive coping strategies. The strengths and weaknesses of these processes were discussed. Implications for intervention and suggestions for future research were offered.

 
Advisor
SchoolALLIANT INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, SAN FRANCISCO BAY
SourceDAI/B 70-09, p. , Oct 2009
Source TypeDissertation
SubjectsSocial work; Clinical psychology; Judaic studies
Publication Number3377446
Adobe PDF Access the complete dissertation:
 

» Find an electronic copy at your library.
  Use the link below to access a full citation record of this graduate work:
  http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl%3furl_ver=Z39.88-2004%26res_dat=xri:pqdiss%26rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation%26rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3377446
  If your library subscribes to the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) database, you may be entitled to a free electronic version of this graduate work. If not, you will have the option to purchase one, and access a 24 page preview for free (if available).

About ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
With over 2.3 million records, the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT) database is the most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses in the world. It is the database of record for graduate research.

The database includes citations of graduate works ranging from the first U.S. dissertation, accepted in 1861, to those accepted as recently as last semester. Of the 2.3 million graduate works included in the database, ProQuest offers more than 1.9 million in full text formats. Of those, over 860,000 are available in PDF format. More than 60,000 dissertations and theses are added to the database each year.

If you have questions, please feel free to visit the ProQuest Web site - http://www.proquest.com - or call ProQuest Hotline Customer Support at 1-800-521-3042.