Oshrat Hochman

Determinants of early retirement preferences in Europe: The role of grandparenthood

Various family characteristics are acknowledged as important determinants of retirement preferences. Yet, the relevance of the third family generation – the grandchildren – has been largely overlooked. In this article we bring the association between grandparenthood and retirement preferences to the fore. We expect to find such a relationship for two main reasons: first, rising participation rates in the labor market, especially among mothers, increases the need for childcare which, in some countries, is only partially provided by the state. Second, for many people grandparenthood marks the transition to a new phase in the life-course, implying new role-identities. We thus expect grandparenthood to decrease anxieties associated with retirement and with the potential loss of one’s role-identity as a working person. We test the association between grandparenthood and retirement preferences using data from the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The findings confirm that grandparenthood increases an individual’s chances of looking forward to retiring early, thus supporting the claim that individuals’ lives are linked to the lives of their family members. Contrary to expectations, the association of grandparenthood with retirement preferences is particularly strong in countries that provide extensive childcare support.

Determinants of Positive Naturalisation Intentions among Germany's Labour Migrants

This study adds another piece to the puzzle of naturalisation among individuals with an immigrant background by further developing the application of social identity. I suggest that two important determinants of an intention to naturalise are identification with ones country of origin, and discrimination. The effects of these and other predictors associated with social identity theory are empirically tested with data from the 1995 to 2002 waves of the German Socio-Economic Panel. The models additionally account for institutionally generated opportunities for naturalisation and their advantages. Findings from conditional fixed-effects models show that intentions to naturalise correspond only partially to the assumptions of social identity theory. Discrimination decreases the odds of respondents intending to naturalise; increasing in-group identification does not. Social and cultural integration are also found to decrease rather than increase the odds, as do unemployment and a short duration of stay. Replicating previous results, political utilities increase the odds that respondents will demonstrate positive naturalisation intentions. The data do not confirm the claim that the higher rates of naturalisation among Turkish nationals are associated with their lower social status and their desire to improve it.

Infiltrators or Asylum Seekers? Framing and Attitudes Toward Asylum Seekers in Israel

This study asks whether framing asylum seekers in Israel as “infiltrators” posing threats to the country amplifies exclusion toward them. The term “infiltrators” associates asylum seekers with the anti-infiltration law passed in the 1950s to fight terrorists and dissociates asylum seekers from their unique position as holders of special rights. The term “infiltrators” may thus influence the attitudes of the Israeli public regarding the treatment of asylum seekers. Findings demonstrate that respondents presented with the “infiltrators” frame were more likely to show exclusionary attitudes. Findings additionally show that the framing effect mediates the relation between perceived socioeconomic threat and exclusion.

‘I am not a German Jew. I am a Jew with a German passport’: German-Jewish identification among Jewish Germans and Jewish German Israelis

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to explore the way German-Jews negotiate their German and Jewish cultural self-identifications. Given that Jewish and German identities represent both ethnic and national identities, we conceptualize their construction and reconstruction referring to theories of national identity. To describe the outcomes of the negotiation processes observed, we recruit Berry’s acculturation theory. This theory provides a valuable framework to conceptualize the integration of two cultural self- identifications. The German-Jewish-Israeli setting is particularly interesting due to the complex relations between the three social groups emerging in the aftermath of the Holocaust. To explore the participants’ German, Jewish and Israeli self-identifications and the role of the Holocaust in their construction and reconstruction, we conducted 18 in-depth interviews. Findings imply that the Holocaust plays a role in the construction of an integrated German-Jewish identification. Yet, the Holocaust and its consequences notwithstanding, an integrated German-Jewish self-identification is possible.

Minority Views of Competition: Attitudes of Israeli Arabs toward Labor Migrants and Noncitizen Palestinians

The present paper describes attitudes of Israeli Arabs toward the presence of two groups of noncitizen workers in the Israeli labor market: Palestinians and overseas foreign workers. Specifically, we analyze perceptions of socioeconomic threat derived from the presence of these two groups and feelings of social distance toward them. These two measures are considered as a good barometer of prejudice against out-group populations.