ABSTRACT
In Israel there is a system of ethnic stratification in which Ashkenazic Jews occupy the top strata and Israeli Arabs the bottom with Oriental Jews falling in between. As a Third World minority in an advanced industrial society, Arabs are understandably at a disadvantage in commanding the necessary competitive resources. The poorer housing conditions of the Arabs are reflected in the large percentage living in extended households. The proportion of Arabs employed in professional, managerial, clerical, and commercial occupations increased from 15% in 1961 to 23% in 1979, while the rise among the Jews was from 35% to 55%. The Arab adoption of Western status criteria and aspirations is demonstrated by their occupational preferences. Like minorities in other societies, Israeli Arabs face the dilemma of either accepting or rejecting the dominant Jewish majority as a positive reference group. Two types of reference groups are: the comparative group and the normative group.
