Fear of terrorism, ethnicity and the acculturation process among immigrants: The israeli case

Introduction: The purpose of the current study was to examine the association between fear of terrorism and acculturation strategies among Israelis of Ethiopian and Former Soviet Union (FSU) origins (i.e., immigrants). Method: The study consisted of an evaluation of 514 Israelis of Ethiopian and FSU origin. All participants completed questionnaires on fear of terrorism (i.e., FOT), perceived neighborhood disorder, social integration, exposure to terrorism, and acculturation strategies. Results: No association was found between acculturation strategies and FOT; the low level of FOT indicates that the two groups have undergone a habituation process. Comparing the relative incidence of the various strategies between groups shows that, among both groups, the dominant acculturation strategy utilized is integration. However, while FSU immigrants reported using more assimilation Ethiopian immigrants reported using more separation. Conclusions: The results challenge the notion of a single acculturation strategy and suggest that Ethiopian and FSU immigrants may use more than one acculturation strategy, and the strategies utilized may even be contradictory. Also, it seems that a long stay in the absorption country is associated with a low level of FOT.