PALESTINIAN SOCIETY - Fafo

power and causal understandings of certain social phenomena can
of ten be better gained through prolonged qualitative study rather than
through quantitative methods, however sweeping in scope.
This survey was also subject to another, more specific lirnitation.
During the three years the project lasted, the Middle East witnessed
a major war, as weU as, in the wake of that war, the most promising
attempt hitherto to fashion peace in the region. In the occupied
territories violence was frequent and the population was subjected to
a range of restrictions and punitive measures including prolonged
periods of curfew. Although its initial fury had dimmed, the resist­
ance, sacrifice and discipline of the intifada had become institution­
alized in daily life. The problems of conducting a large scale project
in such a highly strained and unpredictable environment are obvious.
Moreover, the fears, anger and suspicions that are inherent in these
circumstances could weU have coloured the way the survey was
perceived as weU as how the more sensitive parts of the survey
questionnaire were answered.
Despite these limitations, however, it is hoped that the analysis this
reportcontains will contribute new and useful insights into Palestinian
society, into its vulnerabilities and strengths, its constraints and
opportunities and into the concems and aspirations of its people.
The various analyses in this report underline important and critical
aspects of the situation of Palestinians in the occupied territories.
Typically, the chapter on Population (Chapter 2) shows that
although child mortality still is relatively high, a general improvement
has occurred during the last decades. The proportion of very young
Palestinians is presently large indeed. This fact, together with expect­
ed future fertility leveis, give rise to dramatic projections for the
population size in the next twenty years.
.
There are great variations between the main regions in daily living
conditions, indoors and outdoors, as demonstrated in Chapter 3 on
Housing. Gazans, particularly in camps, score on average low on
indicators for, e.g., housing and infrastructure. People on the West
Bank, and especially in Arab Jerusalem, are often better off, a pattem
illustrated also in Chapters 6, 7 and 10 on Economy, Employment and
Women tespectiveIy. However, results of services by UNWRA and
similar organizations are demonstrated by findings in Chapter 4 (on
Health) and Chapter 5 (on Education). Efforts on a broad scale over
time seem to have reduced otherwise substantial inequalities.
It is an interesting finding thatGazans, especiaUy in camps, despite
their low score on severaI objective living condition components, still
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