Attitudes Toward the Legal System Among Members of Low and High Status Groups in Israel

25 Pages Posted: 5 Jun 2005

See all articles by Dana Yagil

Dana Yagil

University of Haifa

Arye Rattner

University of Haifa

Date Written: June 1, 2005

Abstract

This paper presents surveys examining the effect of group status in Israeli society on attitudes toward the legal system. Three cross-sectional telephone surveys compared the attitudes of veteran Israeli Jews (N = 2,680), representing a high status group, with the attitudes of Israeli Arabs (N = 1,507) and Jewish immigrants from the Former Soviet Union (N = 464), representing lower status groups. The results show that compared to veteran Israeli Jews, Arabs and immigrants attributed less procedural justice to law-enforcement authorities, felt less obliged to comply with the law, believed more strongly in the supremacy of other laws over state laws, and were more willing to take the law into their own hands when their interests seemed threatened. The results are discussed in regard to minority group members' motivation to maintain a positive self-image.

Keywords: compliance with the law, status, social identity

Suggested Citation

Yagil, Dana and Rattner, Arye, Attitudes Toward the Legal System Among Members of Low and High Status Groups in Israel (June 1, 2005). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=736283 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.736283

Dana Yagil (Contact Author)

University of Haifa ( email )

Mount Carmel
Haifa, 31905
Israel
+972 4 824 9180 (Phone)
+972 4 824 9282 (Fax)

Arye Rattner

University of Haifa ( email )

Haifa 31905
Israel
+972 4 824 0331 (Phone)
+972 4 824 0332 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://soc.haifa.ac.il/~arattner/

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