Migrant children aged 16 – 18 studying in educational institutions position themselves in social settings of belonging.

Migration

Israel belongs to the group of countries known as “migration countries”. The work migrants play an important role in Israel’s economy, and their presence also creates a social complexity connected with the character and multicultural balance of the local society (DellaPergola 2012).

Kemp and Yonah (2008) argue that immigration processes involve two phenomena: a. - migrant communities living within society b. – “Diaspora communities”. This lecture will focus on the first group, the one not perceived as an integral part of the destination nation state.  

Work- migration

According to Florentin (2009), work migration from abroad to Israel has created new socio-lingual patterns and practices among which are avoiding the use of the world-over accepted term migrant-workers and creating the term “foreign-workers” (Wurgaft  2006 ).

Children of Migrant Workers  

The presence of work migrants has become a constant fixture in the local scene. The area of the Tel Aviv’s central bus depot has become their main bastion and constitutes a cosmopolitan enclave in which migrant children find themselves in poor neglected foul smelling multicultural urban surroundings (Schnell 2007).

Discourse Analysis and Positioning

Positioning occurs in the process of discourse during which speakers position themselves vis a vis others and reveal their beliefs thoughts and opinions in all their interactions (Kupferberg and Vardi Rat 2012). We used the four world model that enables the researchers to break up the discourse participants’ texts into the worlds of present, past and future.

The study described in this lecture examines the way that the speakers use their linguistic resources in order to position themselves and to convey their emotions, thoughts and ways of coping (Hepburn & Wiggins 2007).

Hypothesis

How do 16-18 year old Children of migrants position themselves in various circles of belonging: home, neighborhood, school and Israeli society?

Study Context

This lecture describes a study that took place in the informal educational setting of Tel Aviv’s Shapira Youth Center which is dedicated to the promoting and advancement of children and youth in distress.

Every study participant had completed a questionnaire. The questionnaires will furthermore examine self - capability and subjective emotional wellbeing among the children. Twenty of the participants of all ages who were capable of conducting high level fluent conversation in Hebrew constituted a focus group of the study. Each of these was the subject of a semi constructed in depth interview.

Predicted Results

In the first setting of belonging – home: students will express a low level of belonging since they spend little time around their home.

In the second – the neighborhood: students will express a high level of belonging in light of the fact that the community center gives them a strong sense of belonging.

In the third – school: students will express a low to medium level of belonging because of its strictness and formality. 

In the fourth – Israeli society: students will express a low level of belonging since they are not perceived as an equal and integral part of society.

Bibliography

DellaPergola S. (2012) Reflections on Emigration in Israel: Comparative aspects. Emigration,1, 5 - 31.

Kemp, A. and Yonah, Y. Migration productivity and identity in Israel: A new era ahead? in Yonah, Y.and Kemp, A,(editors) Citizenship Gaps, pp.9 - 35.  

Wurgaft,  N. (2006). “Police , Open Up!”, Work migrants in Israel. Am Oved Publishing, Tel Aviv, 18 – 25.

Vardi- Rat, E. Horin, A. Grinsfeld, H. and Kupferberg, I. (2010). Teacher Training Colleges at a Crossroads: Teacher Trainers Position Themselves in Times of Crisis. Dapim, 49, 87 – 118.

Bibliography DellaPergola S. (2012) Reflections on Emigration in Israel: Comparative aspects. Emigration,1, 5 - 31. Wurgaft, N. (2006). “Police , Open Up!”, Work migrants in Israel. Am Oved Publishing, Tel Aviv, 18 – 25. Vardi- Rat, E. Horin, A. Grinsfeld, H. and Kupferberg, I. (2010). Teacher Training Colleges at a Crossroads: Teacher Trainers Position Themselves in Times of Crisis. Dapim, 49, 87 – 118. Fischer, H. (1999). Migrant Workers – Current status, Formal setting and Government Policy. In: Natansohn, R. Ahdut, L. (1999). The New Laborers, Workers from foreign countries in Israel. HaKibbutz HaMeuchad Publishing, pp.13-40. Florentin, D.2009. Socialization difficulties of migrant workers. Review of models. Center for Information and Research, Ministry of Education, Tel Aviv District. Kupferberg, I. (2010) The four world model for interactive discourse analysis.In L. Kassen and M. Krumer- Nevo, Data analysis in qualitative analysis. (pp.155 – 180) Ben - Gurion University , Beer- Sheva Kupferberg I.\Vardi – Rat, E. (2012). Metaphorical Positioning of teachers in teacher training colleges in an era of change. In Klavir , R. and Kuzminsky L.(editors), Developing a professional identity: Teacher training and professional development processes in Israel, pp.488 – 505/ Tel Aviv: Mofet institute. Kemp, A. and Yonah, Y. Migration productivity and identity in Israel: A new era ahead? in Yonah, Y.and Kemp, A,(editors) Citizenship Gaps, pp.9 - 35. Kemp, A. Raijman,R. (2008) Workers and Foreigners: Political economics of work migration in Israel. Tel Aviv: Van Lier Institute.