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Our Changing Culture: The mainstream family, and emergence of and non-traditional families and their role in society

 

The Center for Research and Study of the Family at the University of Haifa was established in 1986 to promote research on families in Israel, the development of the family unit and the way in which the family contributes to the growth of individuals and their ability to function in society.  In response to the recent social, cultural, economic and political developments that are affecting the institution of the family,  the Center is poised to expand its research agenda to include new perspectives and creative thinking on the dynamics and changing role of the modern family.

Israel is a small country marked by cultural diversity, shaped by massive waves of immigration from more than seventy countries around the world.  It is a country with a mix of Jewish and Arab populations and is characterized by many languages, traditional family patterns existing alongside modern lifestyles. It is a nation influenced by Western culture existing together with a Middle-Eastern heritage, including values and practices ranging from highly orthodox religious perspectives to secular ways of life.  The study of families in Israel, must include the great diversity within this society–the uniqueness of various family lifestyles within different ethnic and religious groups.