Outcomes of the Work and Family Conflict Among Arab Israeli Female Teachers

In line with the literature that describes conflicts between commitment to work and to family in patriarchal societies undergoing cultural changes, including the cultural empowerment of women, this study examines whether such a development is evident among teacher-mothers in Arab society in Israel, and if so, how it affects their functioning in both settings. 537 teacher-mothers from high schools in Arab society in Israel, representing the population in all districts of the country, completed questionnaires that examined conflictual characteristics and their implications for the teachers’ functioning. It was found that the teachers are in a bidirectional conflict between commitment to family and work but that they cope with it successfully. A model was validated that describes the systemic significance of the commitment conflict between family and work. Identifying conflict factors may facilitate the proposal of means to moderate them. The possibility of expanding the model in further research is discussed.