TITLE:
The relationship between differentiation of self and satisfaction with life amongst Israeli women: A cross cultural perspective
AUTHORS:
Aya Biadsy-Ashkar, Ora Peleg
KEYWORDS:
Differentiation of Self; Emotional Reactivity; I-Position; Emotional Cutoff; Fusion with Others; Satisfaction with Life
JOURNAL NAME:
Health,
Vol.5 No.9,
September
13,
2013
ABSTRACT:
The current study
examined the relationships between satisfaction with life and differentiation
of self among Jewish and Arab women living inIsrael. The sample included 268
participants: 114 Jewish women and 154 Arab women. For both ethnic groups,
satisfaction with life was negatively correlated with emotional cutoff. Among
Arab women, satisfaction with life was found positively associated with I-position,
marriage duration and education. The examination of cross-cultural differences yielded several findings:
Arab women reported higher levels of emotional reactivity and
I-position than Jewish women. No cultural differences were found in the
levels of fusion with others, emotional cutoff and satisfaction with life. The current findings show that
working women, who are highly differentiated, are satisfied with life to a greater extent than
non-working women who are poorly differentiated. In general, the
research findings provide support to the universality of the Family Systems
Theory, and to the argument that differentiation of self is an important factor
which may influence emotional wellbeing in all cultures.