Understanding the Role of Civic Engagement, Government Intervention In Predicting Access to Social Services In Global South: The Case of Palestine

Purposes: This paper investigates access to social services in the context of Palestine. Specifically, the study examines the following research questions: Do socio-demographic characteristics predict access to social services (employment and health services)? Does civic engagement contribute to the prediction of access to social services after controlling for socio-demographic characteristics? Do government interventions contribute to the prediction of access to social services after controlling for socio-demographic characteristics?

Methods: This study uses data from the Arab-Barometer survey, which was conducted in 2006-2007 (N=1270). Univariate statistical procedures are used to describe certain aspects of the data including: age, gender, and education. Bivariate Correlation conducted to explore the relationship between the study variables. Then two distinct procedures are used to understand relationships of interest. Hierarchical regression is utilized to investigate the contribution of social-demographic characteristics, civic engagement and government intervention in explaining access to health services in three successive steps. Logistic regression is conducted to examine the contribution of social-demographic characteristics, civic engagement and government intervention in predicting employment status; this procedure was undertaken in three successive steps.

Results: Results of hierarchical analysis of the first step showed that socio-demographic variables were significant in predicting access to health services and explained1% of the variance in access to health services [R² = .01, F (3,950) = 2.71, P<.05]. Civic engagement indicators, were entered in step 2, did not make a unique contribution to the model. Government intervention was entered in the third step. This variable added about 1% in explaining the variance in access to health services [R²change = .009, F (8,945) = 2.85, P<.01].

Results of the logistic regression analysis conducted to examine the relationship between the independent variables and employment status were significant. The first step indicated that demographic variables related to the dependent variable [-2 Log likelihood = 927.885; x ² (3) = 296.05, P< .000]. The Wald statistics showed that gender and education made significant contribution to the explanation of the variance in employment status. Civic engagement indicators, entered in step 2, was significant and added 3% in explaining the variance in the dependent variable [-2 Log likelihood = 924.722; x² (7) = 299.21, P<.000]. Government intervention, entered in the third step, was significantly related to the dependent variable and added 4% in explaining the variance in employment status [-2 Log likelihood = 920.602; x² (8) = 303.33, P<.000]. Wald statistics indicated that gender, education and government intervention made a contribution in predicting employment status.

Implications: Results of this study draw attention to the importance of improving governmental involvement in welfare provision. Enhancing health policies, particularly, those addressing the youths' health needs, and advancing employment policies that target female unemployment and the employment situation of individuals with lower levels of education may be needed. Future research could also explore factors that may be associated with difficulties that young people face in accessing health services, and how these difficulties influence the health of this group. Research could also examine other predictor of the unemployment among Palestinian women.