The relationship between the selfcategorization of Bedouin teenagers in Israel and their residential areas

This study researched the Bedouin population in Israel. Its purpose is to examine the selfcategorization of teenagers from the Bedouin sector, the extent of its importance and suitability for them, and to identify their frequent and significant categorizations and examine the relationship between these categorizations and the subjects’ residential areas. The study population was high school students from the Bedouin sector in Israel and the sample included 430 students.

The study hypothesis was that Bedouin teenagers will choose different categorizations which will be significant for them and they will emphasize the importance and compatibility of their chosen categorizations. Relationship will be found between these categorizations and residential areas. The research tool was an original questionnaire that was written for the research, distributed to a small sample in pilot study and had 0.74 reliability.

The research findings confirmed the hypothesis that the subjects’ significant self-definition is related to their residential areas.

Another finding shows that there is no conflict between Israeli and Palestinian identity in any place.