Suchergebnisse

The issue of name change, and in particular name reclaiming (i.e., taking back a heritage name), among immigrants has been rarely studied academically, despite its centrality to immigrant identity and immigration experiences. Immigrants, in many countries, are often encouraged or pressured to change their names, but in recent years, some have chosen to reclaim their heritage or original names. This article analyzes the practice of name reclaiming among young Israelis of Ethiopian heritage, a community that has experienced racial discrimination. Data were gathered through a qualitative phenomenological study of 19 young adults who immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia as minors. The analysis yielded two simultaneous dialogues: an internal dialogue in which individuals described their personal experience of name reclaiming and an external dialogue in which name reclaiming reflected a political and social process through which a discriminated minority could express increased feelings of power and agency. The results enrich the study of migration by showing the ways in which personal and social-political processes experienced by a discriminated minority intertwine, as vividly illustrated by the specific case of name reclaiming.

Experiences of discrimination and racism and individual coping strategies were examined among 22 emerging adult Ethiopian immigrants in Israel. In-depth interviews explored the way they perceive, understand, respond to, and cope with experiences of discrimination. Qualitative analysis identified an initial contrast between those interviewees who refuted the existence of personal and/or general experiences of racism and those who felt it acutely. Further analysis identified two strategies among those who refuted the existence of racism: a racism-free group who repudiated racism in general and a proactive strategy in which the young person felt that their own individual behavior prevented racism. Two strategies were identified among those who described frequent, painful racist experiences: (a) fighting back, involving confronting or talking back to the perpetrator, and (b) avoidance, choosing not to react openly to the situation. The article describes the different strategies together with the experience embodied in each of them in relation to integration in Israel and feelings of belonging to Israeli society. The results cast a spot light on the experience of discrimination and the ways of coping with it and suggest that active coping mechanisms are connected to a more positive internal feeling and to stronger feelings of belonging and integration, in particular when the strategy is based on an awareness of discrimination (as opposed to ignoring it).

Recent figures point to alarming rates of suicidal tendencies and risk behaviors among Ethiopian adolescents (first and second generation) in Israel. This study tries to understand this phenomenon through an examination of the relationship between ethnic identity (Israeli and Ethiopian) and parental support with suicidal ideation and alcohol use. Two hundred adolescents aged 15–18 years from the Ethiopian community in Israel completed questionnaires examining the degree to which they felt a sense of (positive) Israeli and Ethiopian identity and parental support as well as suicidal ideation, drinking behavior, and depression. Results showed significant correlations between both Israeli and Ethiopian identities and suicidal ideation and alcohol use and a significant relationship between suicidal ideation and parental support. Regression analysis highlighted the pivotal role of a strong and positive heritage (Ethiopian) identity in lower levels of suicidal ideation and alcohol use. Results suggest the important role of ethnic identity for well-being among immigrant and minority youth, in particular in the ability of minority youth to consolidate a coherent ethnic identity incorporating a positive connection to their heritage culture as providing a protective role against suicidal tendencies and risk behaviors.

Adolescent alcohol use is a subject of concern. Despite research showing an association between parenting behaviors and alcohol use, scarce research has examined whether associations are similar across immigrant status. This question is relevant given that immigration can disrupt parent–adolescent relations. The aim of the current study was to examine the moderating role of parenting behaviors (support, parental knowledge, and communication) on the association between immigrant status and alcohol use (drunkenness and heavy episodic drinking). The study included representative samples of first- and second-generation immigrant adolescents from the Former Soviet Union (FSU; N = 1,167) and Ethiopia ( N = 385), and non-immigrant ( N = 6,669) adolescents in Israel. Non-immigrant adolescents reported higher levels of parenting behaviors and lower levels of alcohol use than immigrant adolescents. Parenting behaviors were negatively associated with alcohol use, but there were no interactions between parenting behaviors and immigrant status. However, differences in parenting behaviors partly explained differences in alcohol use across groups.

Public health reports document an increase in rates of smoking among emerging adults. This study examines environmental influences and temperament as predictors of this increase. One hundred ninety-nine emerging adults were followed from before embarking on a journey outside of Israel and on their return. Participants reported their levels of daily smoking (before, during, and after the journey), novelty seeking, harm avoidance, depressive symptoms, and sociodemographics. Overall, an increase in smoking levels was observed during the backpacking experience. Latent profile analysis showed three separate trajectories of smoking: stable low (70% of participants), experimental increasing (22%), and stable high (8%). In comparison with the stable low group, the experimental increasing group was characterized by higher levels of novelty seeking, while the stable high group was characterized by higher levels of depressive symptoms. Findings highlight the interplay between smoking, temperament, and a permissive environment to explain emerging adult smoking trajectories.

There is little evidence on the association between child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) policies and adolescent mental health. This study examined this association using data on indicators of adolescent mental health—aggressive behavior, life satisfaction, and psychosomatic symptoms—in 172,829 eleven- to fifteen-year-olds from 30 European countries in the 2013-2014 Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) study. Individual records were linked to national-level policies for CAMH, controlling for national-level adult violence, adult well-being, and income inequality. Multilevel analyses revealed lower adolescent aggressive behavior in countries with more CAMH policies, even after controlling for other national-level indicators. Adolescent life satisfaction and psychosomatic symptoms were not associated with CAMH policies. Results may inform policy recommendations regarding investments in adolescent mental health.