PALESTINIAN SOCIETY - Fafo

The Role of the Family
Based on the initial discussion, it is fair to expect family kinship to be
vital determinants of socioeconomic distribution. In Palestinian sodety,
as in most Middle Eastem societies, the family network has
always had an overriding "welfarist function". This role is reinforced
by anumberof considerations: The absenee of a publicsectorthatruns
regular social security arrangements (in an economically and politically
unstable environment) buttresses the role of children and other
relatives as pillars of support for weaker and less advantaged family
members.26 This tendency is fortified by a normative system resting
on areligious as well as a traditional socio-political frame of reference,
which asserts the obligation of the younger generation to take care of
the old and the disabled. Sodal ostracism and shaming are used to
iso late those who do not fulfil their filial duties.27 Table 8.4 examines
the impact of kinship status and family solidarity, and reIate the
answers to ihe HH stratification index.
First, on ly three out of every ten Palestinians agree that the sodal
status of the family determines one' s achievements in life. Conversely,
a vast majority (about nine in ten) believe that one' s achievements
in life depend on family solidarity. What is the explanation of the
marked difference in responses to these two statements? As to the first
state ment, a family' s sodal background may in fact be more important
than the responses suggest. Such a reality may be ignored as it seems
run counter to conventional beliefs that the constraints inherent in the
old sodal order largely have been overcome. The relevance offamily
backgroluid may be rejected on the grounds that in the contemporary
world it is one' s issamiyya (personal ambition or effort) that governs,
and should govem, one' s position in society. On the othe� hand, there
is widespread recognition that achievements usually are not the sole
result of individual efforts, but are dependent on the collective
Tabte 8.4 Attitudes on the rote offamily background by HH socioeconomic
status. Percent saying �'Yes ". (Don 't know inparenthesis)
Low
Socioeconomic status
Lower Upper
middle middle High All
"Achievements in lite is
dependent on social
background":
28
(3)
32
(2)
38
(l)
45
(.)
34
(2)
"Achievements in lite depend on
tamily solidarity"
89
(3)
88
(2)
93
(-)
74
(-)
88
(2)
N 160 306 260 87 813
238