New Article: Gross-Manos & Ben-Arieh, How Subjective Well-Being Is Associated With Material Deprivation in Israeli 12-Year-Olds

Gross-Manos, D., and A. Ben-Arieh. “How Subjective Well-Being Is Associated With Material Deprivation and Social Exclusion in Israeli 12-Year-Olds.” American Journal of Orthopsychiatry (early view; online first).

 
URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26986840

 
Abstract

The literature examining the relations between economic situation and happiness has focused almost exclusively on a household’s income as a proxy for economic situation and, accordingly, also focused chiefly on the adult population, excluding children and adolescents. To fill this gap, this study examines the relation between economic deprivation and happiness by using 2 alternative proxies: material deprivation and social exclusion. The study tests the relation of these measures to the most common measure for happiness-subjective well-being (SWB)-in a sample of Israeli 12-year-olds (N = 1,081). The study also examines the effects of culture and life circumstances on these complex relations. Findings show that both material deprivation and social exclusion are negatively associated with children’s SWB. Social exclusion explained a much larger percentage of children’s SWB, adding up to 20%. Furthermore, children who were identified as materially deprived and socially excluded were found to be at much greater risk for unhappiness. Material deprivation was found to be significantly more important to the SWB of males compared with females, and for Jews compared with Arabs. Finally, some implications for social policy and regarding the relation of economic situation and happiness are discussed.

 

 

 

New Article: Gavriel-Fried et al, Multiple Facets of Self-Control in Arab Adolescents

Gavriel-Fried, Belle, Tammie Ronen, Qutaiba Agbaria, Hod Orkibi, and Liat Hamama. “Multiple Facets of Self-Control in Arab Adolescents. Parallel Pathways to Greater Happiness and Less Physical Aggression”. Youth & Society (early view; online first).

 

URL: dx.doi.org/10.1177/0044118X15606157/

 
Abstract

Adolescence is a period of dramatic change that necessitates using skills and strengths to reduce physical aggression and increase happiness. This study examined the multiple facets of self-control skills in achieving both goals simultaneously, in a sample of 248 Arab adolescents in Israel. We conceptualized and tested a new multi-mediator model that posited two parallel paths. Structural equation modeling with bootstrap analysis supported the hypothesized model where self-control linked with subjective happiness directly, and indirectly through positive emotions and social support. In addition, self-control linked directly to physical aggression, and indirectly through hostility and anger. The findings provide new theoretical conceptualizations for further research and suggest possible mechanisms for prevention and intervention programs.

 

 

 

New Article: Levy, Dialectics of Legal Gambling in Israel

Levy, Moshe. “Rationalization and the Re-Enchantment of Play: the Dialectics of Legal Gambling in Israel.” Human Affairs 25.3 (2015): 317-26.

 

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/humaff-2015-0026

 

Abstract

Romantic notions and critical theories of play describe an assault by rationalization processes on the free and spontaneous nature of play. Other theories seek to describe the dialectical nature between rationalization and freedom, between routine, and magic, and between planning and spontaneity. This article seeks to focus on the rationalization processes of play and to examine whether and in what dimensions, these processes shape the characteristics of play and hamper its spontaneity and freedom. Examination of these processes, performed by socio-historical analysis of legal gambling in Israel, shows that rationalization processes were active on both the practical and technological levels, and on the discursive level of the games of chance. Nevertheless, the characteristics of freedom, joy and spontaneity appeared only on the discursive level of the game and were designed to deliberately serve the economic interests of the various agents in the Israeli gambling field.

 

 

New Article: Abu-Raiya and Agbaria, Religiousness and Subjective Well-Being Among Israeli-Palestinian College Students

Abu-Raiya, Hisham, and Qutaiba Agbaria. “Religiousness and Subjective Well-Being Among Israeli-Palestinian College Students: Direct or Mediated Links?” Social Indicators Research (early view; online first).

 

URL: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11205-015-0913-x

 

Abstract

Espousing a positive psychology orientation, this study aimed to explore the links between religiousness and subjective well-being, and test whether social support and self-control mediate the expected associations between these two variables. Participants were 264 Israeli-Palestinian college students, who were asked to provide demographic information and complete measures of religiousness, social support, self-control, subjective happiness, positive emotions and negative emotions. We found that religiousness was positively correlated with both subjective happiness and positive emotions, but no significant correlation was found between religiousness and negative emotions. Both social support and self-control partially mediated the links between religiousness and both subjective happiness and positive emotions. The findings of the study, as well as its implications and limitations, are discussed.

New Article: Shenkman and Shmotkin, Psychological Welfare among Israeli Gay Fathers

Shenkman, Geva and Dov Shmotkin. “‘Kids Are Joy’: Psychological Welfare Among Israeli Gay Fathers.” Journal of Family Issues 35.14 (2014): 1926-1939.

 

URL: http://jfi.sagepub.com/content/35/14/1926

 

Abstract

This study examined the psychological welfare associated with gay men couplehood (being in relationship) and gay fatherhood. From a sample of 204 Israeli gay men (age range 19-79), we compared 45 gay fathers (55.6% of them being in a steady relationship) with 45 individually matched gay men who were not fathers on indicators of psychological welfare, namely, subjective well-being, depressive symptoms (a reverse indicator), and meaning in life. In line with the study hypothesis, the results indicated that couplehood and parenthood were both associated with higher psychological welfare. Whereas the previously reported heterosexual “parenthood paradox” relates parenthood to decreased levels of subjective well-being along with increased levels of meaning in life, the current study suggests that gay fathers have elevated levels of both subjective well-being and meaning in life. We discuss possible interpretations of the findings.