There Is Nobody to Rely on: Cracks in the Intergenerational Contract Among the Elders in Arab Society in Israel

Abstract

This study aims to examine the ways that old Palestinian Arabs in Israel experience and talk about ageing. Semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted among 25 Arab men and women, Muslims and Christians, aged 65 to 85 years. Using the concepts of “intergenerational contract” and “gender contract,” the study reveals a new discourse reflecting a complex relationship between the elders and their families, characterized by ambivalence and internal conflict. The findings indicate that the intergenerational contract has not disappeared and that family loyalty still exists, but the cracks are gradually widening. The gender contract, which remains stable in the perception of the elders, is changing as well, while the young women are struggling to comply with their part in the contract. The elders are therefore, aware of the possibility that the intergenerational contract will not be implemented in the traditional way and that there is no one to rely on.