Shifra Sagy
Biographic Data
| ID | 95914 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Shifra Sagy |
| GIVEN NAMES | Shifra |
| FAMILY NAME | Sagy |
| SIGNATURE | SAGY S |
| AFFILIATIONS | Ben-Gurion University of the Negev |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-2816-2784 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 42 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 166 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 41 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 1 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1989 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 7 |
Explaining resilience in response to potential traumatic event: Sense of coherence and trajectories of anxiety during Covid-19
This research underscores SOC as a key predictor of anxiety trajectories in navigating PTEs, shedding light on the importance of individual resilience factors in managing adversity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)
Can we promote children’s openness towards the other group in violent conflict? The story of Jewish and Arab kindergarten teachers in Israel
This article explores changes in children’s openness towards kindergarten teachers and children of an outgroup following participation in an intervention program. The program was implemented by kindergarten teachers and aimed at encountering the other via intergroup contact. The findings are based on qualitative data from interviews with the kindergarten teachers. According to the findings, children’s participation in the program fostered opennes…
Order out of chaos: Sense of coherence and the mediating role of coping resources in explaining mental health during Covid-19 in 7 countries
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the universal chaos created by it, this study explores the role of sense of coherence (Soc, Antonovsky, 1979) and how it enables coping with a stressful situation and staying well. SOC is a generalized orientation which allows one to perceive the world as comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful. In an attempt to understand 'how does the SOC work' we employed the salutogenic assumption that a strong SOC…
Creating places, relationships and education for refugee children in camps: Lessons learnt from the ‘The School of Peace’ educational model
This paper describes a unique model for building an afternoon school for refugee children sustained by volunteers and refugee teachers and based on humanistic intercultural values. The methodology is participatory including the whole school, from children to teachers to volunteers and managers. Central themes in the findings include a synergetic focus on creative placemaking, conflict negotiation and formal studies. This points to a theoretical c…
Sense of community coherence and perceptions of collective narratives in postconflict context: The mediating role of subjective experience of interpersonal power
Sense of community coherence, perceptions of collective narratives, and identity strategies in intra- and interreligious group conflicts
Living in opposition: How women in the United States cope in spite of mistrust of federal leadership during the pandemic of Covid‐19
International research collaborators conducted research investigating sociocultural responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. Our mixed methods research design includes surveys and interviews conducted between March and September of 2020 including 249 of 506 survey responses and 18 of 50 in-depth, exploratory, semi-structured interviews with self-defined politically left-leaning women in the United States. We employ a sequential design to analyze stati…
Brief Report: Can Political Orientation Explain Mental Health in the Time of a Global Pandemic? Voting Patterns, Personal and National Coping Resources, and Mental Health During the Coronavirus Crisis
Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine mental health during the coronavirus pandemic crisis and its explanation by personal and national level coping resources. This question was examined in the midst of a political crisis in Israel among voters from two different political orientations. Method: Questionnaires were delivered to a sample of 396 Israeli Jews, of them 180 (45.5%) right-wing and 216 (54.5%) left-wing voters. Right-win…
Encountering the narrative of the “other”: Comparing two types of dialogue groups of Jews and Arabs in Israel
National honor and personal dignity perceptions, legitimization of the narrative of the “other,” and willingness to reconcile: The case of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
Hope Among Refugee Children Attending the International School of Peace on Lesbos
The study focuses on refugee children who live in a temporary transit camp on the Island of Lesbos in Greece, and attend a unique school, which, in the camp’s temporary conditions, endeavours to provide the children with safety, security, and an adaptive learning experience. It examines hope among the refugee children by means of the Children’s Hope Scale (Snyder, 1997), which was administered to 132 children aged 6-16 who attend the school. The …
A sense of national coherence and openness to the “other’s” collective narrative: The case of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
Nobody ever told us”: The contribution of intragroup dialogue to reflexive learning about violent conflict
The Handbook of Salutogenesis
This in-depth survey of salutogenesis shows the breadth and strengths of this innovative perspective on health promotion, health care, and wellness. Background and historical chapters trace the develo
Can we empathize with the narrative of our enemy? A personal odyssey in studying peace education
The reader is taken on a journey spanning some 30 years devoted to the author’s involvement in practicing, teaching and studying peace education. The core concept in this journey is active bystandership, which implies the capacity to disengage from our ethnocentric narratives and perceptions and to face the emotional challenges of acknowledging narratives that contradict our collective assumptions about the conflict and accept the moral obligatio…
Exploring ourselves within intergroup conflict: The role of intragroup dialogue in promoting acceptance of collective narratives and willingness toward reconciliation
Neither Seeing Nor Seen: Exclusion and Double Exclusion in the Lives of Young People Involved in the Drug Trade in Israel
Social exclusion has been identified as a prominent factor informing our understanding of young people involvement in gang life, violence and crime. While the literature on social exclusion focuses on the education and employment systems, there is a limited literature regarding the role played by correctional institutions in exacerbating social exclusion. This article explores the reciprocal relationships between young people involved in the drug…
Community Sense of Coherence Among Adolescents as Related to Their Involvement in Risk Behaviors: Community Sense of Coherence Among Adolescents
The current study employs a new concept–community sense of coherence (CSOC)–that measures youth's perceptions of their own community and its potential as a source for protective factors and assets. The theoretical foundation for this measure is the salutogenic approach and its concept of “sense of coherence.” A total of 1023 students from the 8th to 11th grades, living in 3 Israeli communities, filled out self-reported questionnaires that include…
On both sides of the fence: Perceptions of collective narratives and identity strategies among Palestinians in Israel and in the West Bank
Attitudes toward war and peace and their relations with anxiety reactions among adolescents living in a conflictual area
The present study examined attitudes toward war and peace during a violent conflict and their relationships with anxiety reactions. We aimed to find out if attitudes toward the conflict in general or attitudes toward the specific operation are linked to anxiety reactions during a stressful situation and if a personal coping resource mediates the relationships between these attitudes and anxiety. Data were gathered on November 2012 from 78 Jewish …
Community Resilience and Sense of Coherence as Protective Factors in Explaining Stress Reactions: Comparing Cities and Rural Communities During Missiles Attacks
When education meets conflict: Palestinian and Jewish-Israeli parental attitudes towards peace promoting education
The present study examines parental attitudes toward bilingual and peace-promoting education at a school in Israel, and how these affect the behaviors and perceptions of their children studying there. The questions of interest were: (a) what are the parents’ perceptions of and attitudes toward the bilingual and peace-promoting education? (b) Are these attitudes in line with the school’s ideological framework? (c) How might parental perceptions an…
Perceptions of collective narratives and identity strategies: The case of Palestinian Muslims and Christians in Israel
Perceptions of the narrative of the ‘other’ among Arab and Jewish adolescents in Israel: Between peace talks and violent events
One of the major challenges for the process of peace building is to overcome the rigid structure of the socio‐psychological repertoire that accompanies it. Our longitudinal study examined one element of this repertoire among Jewish and Arab adolescents in Israel: the cognitive legitimacy and the emotional reactions toward the historical narrative of the opponent. We focused our question on the impact of the socio‐political context and the role of…
Acculturation Attitudes and Perceptions of Collective Narratives: The Case of Israeli Arab Youth
The relationship between acculturation attitudes and attitudes toward collective narratives is explored in the context of Palestinian adolescents, citizens of the State of Israel. Employing Berry's acculturation framework, we expected that approaching the hegemonic Israeli Jewish culture would be related to higher acceptance of its collective narrative concerning main historical events. We further expected that retaining the Palestinian culture w…
Individualism and Collectivism in Two Conflicted Societies: Comparing Israeli-Jewish and Palestinian-Arab High School Students
A theoretical framework concerning cultural patterns labeled individualism and collectivism is probed with regard to two conflicted societies, Israeli-Jewish and Palestinian-Arab societies. The following three methods were used to examine collectivism/individualism constructs among 1,190 Palestinian and 1,144 Israeli high school students: items that tap values, interest in different domains of history, and attitudes toward conflict resolution. Bo…
Individualism and Collectivism in Israeli Society: Comparing Religious and Secular High-School Students
Triandis' theoretical framework, concerning cultural patterns labeled individualism and collectivism, is probed with regard to the religious marker in the Israeli Jewish society. Three methods are used to examine collectivism-individualism constructs in 185 religious and 956 secular high school students: value items, interest in different domains of history, and attitudes toward political issues. A common collective basis of mutual value consensu…
Macro‐ and microlevel factors related to sense of community: The case of temporary neighborhoods in Israel
This study examines macro and micro factors influencing the development of sense of community (Davidson & Cotter, 1980) in two different populations (immigrants and veterans) in new temporary neighborhoods in Israel. At the macrolevel, the major factors examined were population size, population density, number of dwelling units in the site, urbanity of the area, ethnic heterogeneity, and peripheriality of the region. Three kinds of variables were…
Community Resilience and Sense of Coherence as Protective Factors in Explaining Stress Reactions: Comparing Cities and Rural Communities During Missiles Attacks
Exploring ourselves within intergroup conflict: The role of intragroup dialogue in promoting acceptance of collective narratives and willingness toward reconciliation
Intergroup Encounters Between Jewish and Arab Students in Israel: Towards an interactionist approach1
The paper examines the relationship between self and society from an interactionist approach, within the context of intergroup encounters. One of the main dilemmas found in intergroup encounters is the tension that exists between the salience of the group identity versus personal and interpersonal dimensions. We suggest applying an interactionist approach to dealing with this debate, which emphasizes the situation in which the contact takes place…
Community Sense of Coherence Among Adolescents as Related to Their Involvement in Risk Behaviors: Community Sense of Coherence Among Adolescents
The current study employs a new concept–community sense of coherence (CSOC)–that measures youth's perceptions of their own community and its potential as a source for protective factors and assets. The theoretical foundation for this measure is the salutogenic approach and its concept of “sense of coherence.” A total of 1023 students from the 8th to 11th grades, living in 3 Israeli communities, filled out self-reported questionnaires that include…
The Family Sense of Coherence and the Retirement Transition
Hope Among Refugee Children Attending the International School of Peace on Lesbos
The study focuses on refugee children who live in a temporary transit camp on the Island of Lesbos in Greece, and attend a unique school, which, in the camp’s temporary conditions, endeavours to provide the children with safety, security, and an adaptive learning experience. It examines hope among the refugee children by means of the Children’s Hope Scale (Snyder, 1997), which was administered to 132 children aged 6-16 who attend the school. The …
Effects of Personal, Family, and Community Characteristics on Emotional Reactions in a Stress Situation: The Golan Heights Negotiations
This study investigated emotional reactions to a community stress situation: living on the Golan Heights during the period of peace negotiations between Israel and Syria. The study concerned the buffering effects of three types of moderators-at the individual, family, and community levels-on anxiety and anger. Data were collected in two regional high schools from 201 pupils. Of these, 107 pupils lived in the Golan settlements (study group) and 94…
Perceptions of collective narratives and identity strategies: The case of Palestinian Muslims and Christians in Israel
Coping Resources as Explanatory Factors of Stress Reactions During Missile Attacks: Comparing Jewish and Arab Adolescents in Israel
The impact of the political context on discourse characteristics in Jewish–Arab encounters in Israel: Between peace talks and violent events
Research in the field of intergroup relations has developed considerably over the last two decades, influenced by events and by the historical zeitgeist. We suggest applying an interactional way of dealing with intergroup encounters, which emphasizes the situational macro‐context (political, historical and social) in which the contact takes place. Employing this approach, the impact of the social‐political context on the characteristics of two en…
Family, gender, and attitudes toward retirement
Perceptions of the narrative of the ‘other’ among Arab and Jewish adolescents in Israel: Between peace talks and violent events
One of the major challenges for the process of peace building is to overcome the rigid structure of the socio‐psychological repertoire that accompanies it. Our longitudinal study examined one element of this repertoire among Jewish and Arab adolescents in Israel: the cognitive legitimacy and the emotional reactions toward the historical narrative of the opponent. We focused our question on the impact of the socio‐political context and the role of…
Moral justification and feelings of adjustment to military law-enforcement situation: The case of Israeli soldiers serving at army roadblocks
Beliefs About Teaching, Teachers and Schools Among Pre-Service Teachers: The Case of Israeli-Bedouin Students
The purpose of the study was to examine beliefs about teaching and teachers of Israeli-Bedouin students before and during their training period. The study is based on Kagan's (1992) theoretical model, which views teachers' professional development as taking place through reciprocity between students' personal school memories and the training process. The Israeli-Bedouin community has been going through a transition from a tribal and traditional s…
Marital Violence: Comparing Women in Violent and Nonviolent Unions
The purpose of this study was to explore the degree to which concepts drawn from North American research are applicable to marital violence among Israeli Jews. Interviews were conducted with 161 women after they gave birth in a large medical center, 29 of whom reported at least one occurrence of violent marriage (VM) during the study year. As in comparable North American research, marital violence was associated with economic hardship, with lack …
Encountering the narrative of the “other”: Comparing two types of dialogue groups of Jews and Arabs in Israel
On both sides of the fence: Perceptions of collective narratives and identity strategies among Palestinians in Israel and in the West Bank
Acculturation Attitudes and Perceptions of Collective Narratives: The Case of Israeli Arab Youth
The relationship between acculturation attitudes and attitudes toward collective narratives is explored in the context of Palestinian adolescents, citizens of the State of Israel. Employing Berry's acculturation framework, we expected that approaching the hegemonic Israeli Jewish culture would be related to higher acceptance of its collective narrative concerning main historical events. We further expected that retaining the Palestinian culture w…
A sense of national coherence and openness to the “other’s” collective narrative: The case of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
Living in opposition: How women in the United States cope in spite of mistrust of federal leadership during the pandemic of Covid‐19
International research collaborators conducted research investigating sociocultural responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. Our mixed methods research design includes surveys and interviews conducted between March and September of 2020 including 249 of 506 survey responses and 18 of 50 in-depth, exploratory, semi-structured interviews with self-defined politically left-leaning women in the United States. We employ a sequential design to analyze stati…
Neither Seeing Nor Seen: Exclusion and Double Exclusion in the Lives of Young People Involved in the Drug Trade in Israel
Social exclusion has been identified as a prominent factor informing our understanding of young people involvement in gang life, violence and crime. While the literature on social exclusion focuses on the education and employment systems, there is a limited literature regarding the role played by correctional institutions in exacerbating social exclusion. This article explores the reciprocal relationships between young people involved in the drug…
Attitudes toward war and peace and their relations with anxiety reactions among adolescents living in a conflictual area
The present study examined attitudes toward war and peace during a violent conflict and their relationships with anxiety reactions. We aimed to find out if attitudes toward the conflict in general or attitudes toward the specific operation are linked to anxiety reactions during a stressful situation and if a personal coping resource mediates the relationships between these attitudes and anxiety. Data were gathered on November 2012 from 78 Jewish …
Family, gender, and attitudes toward retirement
The Family Sense of Coherence and the Retirement Transition
Gender Differences in Occupational Orientations of Soviet Immigrant Students
Occupational orientations of 154 young Soviet immigrants to Israel were studied. It was hypothesized that among young people socialized in Soviet society there would be fewer gender differences in vocational choices and occupational values than in Western society. However, significant gender differences were found in both variables, consistent with the stereotypical pattern documented in Western societies. Although these findings could suggest th…
Marital Violence: Comparing Women in Violent and Nonviolent Unions
The purpose of this study was to explore the degree to which concepts drawn from North American research are applicable to marital violence among Israeli Jews. Interviews were conducted with 161 women after they gave birth in a large medical center, 29 of whom reported at least one occurrence of violent marriage (VM) during the study year. As in comparable North American research, marital violence was associated with economic hardship, with lack …
Macro‐ and microlevel factors related to sense of community: The case of temporary neighborhoods in Israel
This study examines macro and micro factors influencing the development of sense of community (Davidson & Cotter, 1980) in two different populations (immigrants and veterans) in new temporary neighborhoods in Israel. At the macrolevel, the major factors examined were population size, population density, number of dwelling units in the site, urbanity of the area, ethnic heterogeneity, and peripheriality of the region. Three kinds of variables were…
Effects of Personal, Family, and Community Characteristics on Emotional Reactions in a Stress Situation: The Golan Heights Negotiations
This study investigated emotional reactions to a community stress situation: living on the Golan Heights during the period of peace negotiations between Israel and Syria. The study concerned the buffering effects of three types of moderators-at the individual, family, and community levels-on anxiety and anger. Data were collected in two regional high schools from 201 pupils. Of these, 107 pupils lived in the Golan settlements (study group) and 94…
Individualism and Collectivism in Israeli Society: Comparing Religious and Secular High-School Students
Triandis' theoretical framework, concerning cultural patterns labeled individualism and collectivism, is probed with regard to the religious marker in the Israeli Jewish society. Three methods are used to examine collectivism-individualism constructs in 185 religious and 956 secular high school students: value items, interest in different domains of history, and attitudes toward political issues. A common collective basis of mutual value consensu…
Individualism and Collectivism in Two Conflicted Societies: Comparing Israeli-Jewish and Palestinian-Arab High School Students
A theoretical framework concerning cultural patterns labeled individualism and collectivism is probed with regard to two conflicted societies, Israeli-Jewish and Palestinian-Arab societies. The following three methods were used to examine collectivism/individualism constructs among 1,190 Palestinian and 1,144 Israeli high school students: items that tap values, interest in different domains of history, and attitudes toward conflict resolution. Bo…
Intergroup Encounters Between Jewish and Arab Students in Israel: Towards an interactionist approach1
The paper examines the relationship between self and society from an interactionist approach, within the context of intergroup encounters. One of the main dilemmas found in intergroup encounters is the tension that exists between the salience of the group identity versus personal and interpersonal dimensions. We suggest applying an interactionist approach to dealing with this debate, which emphasizes the situation in which the contact takes place…
Interpretations of the past and expectations for the future among Israeli and Palestinian youth
This study was developed by a group of Israeli and Palestinian researchers for the purpose of examining social knowledge of young people in the conflicted region of the Middle East. The article examines the relations between measures of interpretations of the past (perceptions of legitimacy and emotional reactions toward the historical "narratives" of Israelis and Palestinians) and measures of expectations of the collective future, as reflected i…
Beliefs About Teaching, Teachers and Schools Among Pre-Service Teachers: The Case of Israeli-Bedouin Students
The purpose of the study was to examine beliefs about teaching and teachers of Israeli-Bedouin students before and during their training period. The study is based on Kagan's (1992) theoretical model, which views teachers' professional development as taking place through reciprocity between students' personal school memories and the training process. The Israeli-Bedouin community has been going through a transition from a tribal and traditional s…
The impact of the political context on discourse characteristics in Jewish–Arab encounters in Israel: Between peace talks and violent events
Research in the field of intergroup relations has developed considerably over the last two decades, influenced by events and by the historical zeitgeist. We suggest applying an interactional way of dealing with intergroup encounters, which emphasizes the situational macro‐context (political, historical and social) in which the contact takes place. Employing this approach, the impact of the social‐political context on the characteristics of two en…
Hope in times of threat: The case of Israeli and Palestinian youth
This study was developed by a group of Israeli and Palestinian researchers for the purpose of examining levels and contents of hope among young people in the conflicted region of the Middle East. Hope was defined as the interaction between wishes and positive future expectations. The differentiation between personal and collective hopes, as well as stability and/or change of levels of hope in the context of a changing reality, were examined. Data…
Moral justification and feelings of adjustment to military law-enforcement situation: The case of Israeli soldiers serving at army roadblocks
Factors related to students’ achievements: Comparing Israeli Bedouin and Jewish students in college education
This study examined factors contributing to the achievements of Israeli Bedouin and Jewish students in an Israeli college for teacher education. The study employed Tinto’s model and its core concepts of academic and social integration as main explanatory factors for student achievement in an academic institute. Background characteristics were also suggested as potential predictors. Data were collected in an Israeli college for teacher education f…
Sense of coherence, hope and values among adolescents under missile attacks: A longitudinal study
This study aimed to explore measures of spirituality – sense of coherence (SOC), hope and values – among adolescents living in a violent political area and experiencing missile attacks. The three variables represent attributes of spirituality, such as searching for meaning and purpose in life, hope and feelings about the future, as well as values and beliefs. Adolescence seems to be an important developmental stage where many structures, such as …
Coping Resources as Explanatory Factors of Stress Reactions During Missile Attacks: Comparing Jewish and Arab Adolescents in Israel
Perceptions of the narrative of the ‘other’ among Arab and Jewish adolescents in Israel: Between peace talks and violent events
One of the major challenges for the process of peace building is to overcome the rigid structure of the socio‐psychological repertoire that accompanies it. Our longitudinal study examined one element of this repertoire among Jewish and Arab adolescents in Israel: the cognitive legitimacy and the emotional reactions toward the historical narrative of the opponent. We focused our question on the impact of the socio‐political context and the role of…
Acculturation Attitudes and Perceptions of Collective Narratives: The Case of Israeli Arab Youth
The relationship between acculturation attitudes and attitudes toward collective narratives is explored in the context of Palestinian adolescents, citizens of the State of Israel. Employing Berry's acculturation framework, we expected that approaching the hegemonic Israeli Jewish culture would be related to higher acceptance of its collective narrative concerning main historical events. We further expected that retaining the Palestinian culture w…
When education meets conflict: Palestinian and Jewish-Israeli parental attitudes towards peace promoting education
The present study examines parental attitudes toward bilingual and peace-promoting education at a school in Israel, and how these affect the behaviors and perceptions of their children studying there. The questions of interest were: (a) what are the parents’ perceptions of and attitudes toward the bilingual and peace-promoting education? (b) Are these attitudes in line with the school’s ideological framework? (c) How might parental perceptions an…
Perceptions of collective narratives and identity strategies: The case of Palestinian Muslims and Christians in Israel
Community Resilience and Sense of Coherence as Protective Factors in Explaining Stress Reactions: Comparing Cities and Rural Communities During Missiles Attacks
On both sides of the fence: Perceptions of collective narratives and identity strategies among Palestinians in Israel and in the West Bank
Attitudes toward war and peace and their relations with anxiety reactions among adolescents living in a conflictual area
The present study examined attitudes toward war and peace during a violent conflict and their relationships with anxiety reactions. We aimed to find out if attitudes toward the conflict in general or attitudes toward the specific operation are linked to anxiety reactions during a stressful situation and if a personal coping resource mediates the relationships between these attitudes and anxiety. Data were gathered on November 2012 from 78 Jewish …
Neither Seeing Nor Seen: Exclusion and Double Exclusion in the Lives of Young People Involved in the Drug Trade in Israel
Social exclusion has been identified as a prominent factor informing our understanding of young people involvement in gang life, violence and crime. While the literature on social exclusion focuses on the education and employment systems, there is a limited literature regarding the role played by correctional institutions in exacerbating social exclusion. This article explores the reciprocal relationships between young people involved in the drug…
Psychology (41 works) · Social Psychology (36 works) · Sociology (26 works) · Political science (25 works) · Social Psychology (24 works) · Law (17 works) · Social and Intergroup Psychology (14 works) · Narrative (12 works) · Politics (12 works) · Health, psychology, and well-being (11 works)