Gender Identities and Social Action

Gender identity is a salient identity for a fifth of Jewish respondents and a quarter of Arab respondents in a sample of Israeliwomen. However, it is not as salient as are collectivistic identities (i.e., Jewish/Arab identities, Israeli/Palestinian identities) or even the individualistic identities of family and profession. This study shows that the meaning of gender identity differs for Jewish and Arab women. For Jewish women, a salient gender identity reflects a departure from traditional roles and the weakening of their hold. For Arab women, a salient gender identity seems to be related to the traditional gendered division of labor. The findings seem to indicate that a salient gender identity may have two opposing meanings: a traditional meaning or a nontraditional (or egalitarian) meaning. Women have to move away from (or relinquish) traditional gender identities before they can develop a liberal gender identity.