PALESTINIAN SOCIETY - Fafo

occupational prestige categories, occupational training is considered
a fairly valid indicator.7 The occupations are further grouped into four
categories: High-status occupations comprise high-Ievel professionals
(one in ten). Upper middle range occupations imply midd le-leve l
professionals, business management- and skilled workers (three in
ten). Lower midd le status occupations are understood to be sales
workers, farmers and traditional craft artisans (three in ten). Low
status HHs have not been trained for any specific jobs (three in ten).8
New types of labour have given rise to new forms of status
acquisition, replaeing land as the primary indicator of economic
wealth (except where agricultural land has appreciated in terms of its
real estate value). First, the increase in private disposable income,
extensions of infrastructures and access to Israeli markets, have
rendered "modem" consumerdurables a prime indicator of economic
well-being. The possession of certain luxury goods clearly distinguishes
the better off from the rest of the population.
As previously mentioned, income has not been measured directly
in this survey. Consequently, soeial status in terms of economic capita!
has to be deduced from other income-related information. This can be
done by charting ownership of a set of what is commonly known as
"cutting edge" consurner durables: Colour TV, washing-machine,
modem oven, bathroom, video, stereo and dishwasher. When frequencies
of the different items are added, the following distributive
pattem emerges: HHs possessing none of the items included can be
categorized as low-status (fourin ten). The low middlecategory (two
in ten) has but one of the items. The upper middle category (two in ten)
possesses 2-3 items, and the high status category (two in ten) owns 4
or more.
Secondly, housing is of particular interest in light of the pivotal
importance of the family within the Palestinian society. Housing
functions as an indicator of family economic wealth and also determines
or refIects the status of the family within the local community.
Thus, substantial resources are pooled into housing, which is also
considered a safe area ofinvestments in an otherwise uncertain world.
The housing index provides measurement of density and intemal
comfort. While density indicates the number of persons per room,
intemal comfortrefIects the availability of a set of amenities which the
HH disposes of: shower, flush toilet, fitted kitchen or heating by
central, electric, gas or solar energy. The best housing situation is
defmed as having more than three of the specified amenities and
encompassing less than two persons per room (one in ten HHs). The
224