Strangers in Israel:the Relationship between Perceived Threat, Mastery and Community Resources, and Levels of Social Distance Towards Foreigners and Sense of Well-Being Among Veteran Residents in Disadvantage Neighborhoods

Israel has been an immigrant absorbing country since its establishment. However, over the last decade, it has been facing the global problem of illegal refugees from Africa. Many of these refugees have congregated in disadvantaged neighborhoods, a reality which has led to friction between veteran residents and newcomers.

The study aimed to achieve two objectives, based on the Conservation of Resources Theory and Integrated Threat Theory. The first objective was to examine perceptions of the concept of social distance among veteran residents versus foreigners. The second objective was to evaluate the well-being of veteran residents in light of the new dynamic within their neighborhoods. We examined the contribution of background variables, dimensions of threat (realistic, symbolic, stereotypical, and intergroup), personal resources (mastery), and community resources (community activity, leadership, and client participation) to social distance and well-being among veteran residents versus foreigners.

The research population included 168 men and women from three disadvantaged neighborhoods. Data were collected from a convenience sample. The relationships between the background variables and the research variables were examined on the basis of Pearson's correlations and ANOVAs. In order to examine the contribution of the independent variables to social distance and well-being, regression analyses were conducted.

Analysis of the findings revealed that participants who live in close proximity to strangers reported low levels of well-being and mastery. This was due to a sense of real threat due to the increased burden on services and a decline in the quality of services. As a result, residents living in close proximity to foreigners were found to be more politically active, as reflected in the neighborhood leadership. Residents with a high sense of mastery, high occupational status, and high socio-economic status were in less competition with the foreigners and thus reported a higher sense of well-being. Finally, lower threat perceptions were associated with a higher well-being. As for community resources, volunteering and citizen participation was associated with higher well-being.

The sense of symbolic threat (to attitudes and values), and negative stereotype were significant and explained social distance, among the entire research population, irrespective of their physical proximity to the foreigners. The prevalence of these could be attributed to minimal interaction with the foreigners, and to government policies. These findings suggest that reduction of threat perceptions will decrease social distance between the groups. Regarding the background variables, participants with a right-wing political orientation and low occupational status perceived outgroups as threatening and manifested high social distance.  

The discussion includes practical recommendations. Foreign populations should be encouraged to settle in different cities in order to increase the sense of well-being, decrease threat perceptions, and reduce social distance among residents of underprivileged neighborhoods. Moreover, veteran residents should be encouraged to participate in community affairs, and should be involved in neighborhood leadership. Finally, the study contributed to enhancing the ability of social workers to develop effective macro-level intervention programs for the community. It also highlighted the need to promote community leadership as a means of reducing conflicts, threats, and stereotypes, and enhancing well-being.