Quiz 3

Israeli Athletes, Kuwait Athletes, & Multicultural Context

Israeli Athletes

History

  • Established in 1948

  • Previous and current wars

  • Israel is Multicultural Society composed of 10.14 million people as of September 2025.

  • Elite athletes in Israel, whether Jewish, Arab, or foreign, must cope not only with regional challenges that every resident faces but also with the usual physical and psychological obstacles that are part of sport.

  • Jewish, Arab, and foreign athletes are a microcosm of the multicultural phenomenon existing in the population at large in Israel, which can be complex when it comes to team relations with teams.

 

Sport

  • Sport and physical education have traditionally been separated domains in Israel

  • The government established a physical training department to address all aspects of physical education except sport, so sport has remained free from direct governmental control.

  • In 1984 the Ministry of Education, Sport, and Culture and the Israeli Olympic Committee established the Elite Sport Department.

    • The Main objective of the department was to provide optimal preparatory conditions, physically and psychologically, to elite athletes aiming to participate in major international sport events

  • Elite sport in Israel has also developed in the private sector with professional and semi-professional clubs that are owned and managed by affluent individual or corporations.

 

Sport Psychology

  • The development of sport has also influenced the development of sport sciences. Since its establishment, the Elite Sport Department provided assistance not only to the athletes but also professionals who work with them, such as coaches, athletic trainings, sport physicians, sport psychologists, and other supportive staffers. Sport sciences staffers are often hired by the Elite Sport Department, as well as professional sport clubs.

 

Challenges for Elite Athletes

Language – The official language of Israel is Hebrew but this is not spoken by every athlete. Additionally, coaching staff, and for that matter sport psychology staff, often speak Hebrew of another language that is not always the same as the athletes. Often teams find a common language they agree upon as the official language during entire team gatherings. Language barriers can also cause hesitation in seeking sport psychology services.

 

Personal – Due to the diversity of Israeli athletes, there are often varying ethnic standards and tastes in dress and music, along with other personal preferences. Although cross-cultural relations on the team are not often influenced greatly by personal differences, these differences were symbols of sub teams within the team.

 

Discipline – Not all athletes demonstrate the same level of discipline. Sport outside of Israel may have expectations and commitment that is more extreme, this is in part due to sport systems being different depending on the country you are from. When is comes to discipline, effort, and hard work in sport, this can influence team relations if there is friction between different groups when it comes to how these concepts are defined and acted upon.

 

Fans – Sport is perceived as a release due to the constant stress the people in Israel often are coping with. Being an Israeli elite athlete comes with notoriety and fans often engage and approach athletes when they are then are out and about.

 

Terror – Israel is probably one of the few countries that must cope with terror attacks and military threats of a regular basis and at the same time attempt to maintain a normal way of life, including sport activities for athletes. Additionally, the occurrence of terror attacks elevates the number of discussions among players on issues such as politics, military action, and complex relationships between Jewish and Arab citizens.

 

Practical Considerations

  • Collaborative sport science staff approach

    • Consultants should be mindful to treat all athletes equally, regardless of their nationality, ethnic background, or religion.

  • Equality

    • Consultants should be mindful to treat all athletes equally, regardless of their nationality, ethnic background, or religion.

  • Focus on providing psychological service in areas of competence

    • Avoid getting into discussion regarding politics, or financial matters that are outside the scope of sport psychology as athletes are often too emotionally involved with these issues and its better for the consultant to keep their private opinions to themselves.

  • Individual sessions

    • Additionally, consultants should select appropriate interventions they are knowledgeable and experienced in. Providing interventions in individual sessions can be helpful in overcoming any language or cultural barriers.

  • Open-door approach

    • Consultants should encourage athletes to consult with then any time, not just during formal sessions. Some may prefer the professional office setting, while others prefer a restaurant or alternative location that is less formal. The goal is to be able to provide services while meeting the client where they are at and being cognizant of the unique challenges Israeli athletes face. 

 

 

Kuwait Athletes

History

  • Kuwait had existed as an independent political entity as early at 1613

  • 18th century, early 19th century, Kuwait become a major port for international commerce and trade route, as well as ship building.

  • oil boom in the 1950s and 60s. Kuwait has been an autonomous political and social unit since the 18th century.

 

Religion and Class

  • The national population of Kuwait is overwhelmingly Arab and in large share an Islamic identity.

  • The majority of Kuwaiti nationals are Suni Muslims and the minority is Shia.

  • Arabic is spoken language

  • Revolution and war over the years has increased tension between Sunnis and Shia.

Classes

  • the wealthy and everyone else.

  • The wealthiest Kuwaitis are members either of the ruling family or what was one a powerful merchant class.

  • The economic elite are large Sunni however some Shia families are also wealthy.

 

Family

  • Kuwaitis tend to have strong attachments to families

  • Houses are designed to show little to the outside world and often have a nearby structure, called a diwaniya, for receiving guests. In large part cultural life is centered on home and diwaniya with few other places of public entertainment.

 

Cross-Cultural Exchanges

  • Initial intervention and first meetings

    • Initial interventions serve as an opportunity to define sport psychology and the consultant. This is often accomplished through psychoeducation and appropriate self-disclosure. A questions and answers approach seems to be an efficient way to communicate in a challenge-of-knowledge situation, similarly to how teachers and students interact. A direct approach to answering questions is often a better approach

  • Communication clarity

    • One consistent variable that determines the success of any outsider into a community is their ability to communicate, specifically metacommunication like tone, pace, and body language. Part of this process may also include creating operational definitions for words that are used regularly – like mental toughness.

  • Perspective framework

    • Taking a perspective framework seems to be appropriate and helpful for Kuwaiti athletes. This includes 3 components: **identity, support, and values

 

Practical Consideration

  • Be cautious giving advice outside area of expertise

 

  • Relationships may develop more quickly in Kuwait culture than Western society

 

  • Consider turning questions back on questioners to learn point of view

 

 

Arab Americans

In the US, Arab Americans have with a long history of discrimination, particularly since 9/11.

Some statistics:

 

  • Arab Americans are understood to include those who have ancestry in one of 22 Arab countries whose official language is Arabic.

 

  • The majority of Arab Americans immigrated to the US in 3 major waves, 1875 – WWII for economic reasons, WWII to escape the Arab-Israeli conflicts and civil war, and post 9/11 from the Global War on Terror.

 

  • ~3.7 million Arab Americans live in the US, with 82% of Arabs in the US being citizens. Unfortunately, there are inaccurate record keeping of this population as the US census did not recognize this population until after the recent census so much information regarding Arab Americans is inaccurate. This can make Arab Americans feel unrecognized.

 

  • The majority of Arab Americans trace their ancestry to a historical geographical region which corresponds roughly too the Eastern Mediterranean countries of Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Iraq, and Syria.

 

  • Over 60% of Arab Americans are Christians, ~25% are Muslim, and 13% practice another religion or are not religious.

 

  • Arab Americans are more likely to be married and highly educated.

 

  • The majority work as executives, professionals, and office and sales staff. 43% work in management positions.

 

  • Arab Americans income is higher than the national median income.

Like every group, Arab Americans themselves have their own multifaceted racial-ethnic backgrounds, cultural identities, social class experiences, and religious practices. Some shared values may include a collectivistic perspective – prioritizing family over the individual and parental involvement throughout child’s lives, religion integrated in vary aspects of family social life, and hospitality in interpersonal interactions. Traditional Arab American family structure is often patriarchal and traditional gender roles are often followed.

 

Strength and Resiliencies

Family and Community Connections 

  • Since Arab American cultural is often collectivistic, family and community connections are close and  can serve as protective factors in dealing with prejudice and discrimination from larger society. Additionally, family resources can be brought to bear on personal issues and problems. Newer immigrants often receive support and acceptance within Arab communities

 

Potential Challenges

  • Torn in acknowledgement and appreciation of cultural identity

Since Arab American information is often inaccurate due to not being recognized and counted until after the recent census, many Arab American can feel torn between acknowledgement and appreciation of their cultural identity and the need to avoid racial targeting by avoiding talking Arabic and withholding information about their ethnicity. Additionally, Arab Americans are often profiled, even in movies, as sheiks, barbarians, or terrorists; while Arab women face gender stereotypes and are often dismissed as submissive, veiled, and secluded within the home or being exotic.

Applied Considerations

 

Traditional vs. acculturated or assimilated

  • Arab Americans have high levels of educational and economic success, partially due to their ability to acculturate and assimilate quickly; whereas others adhere strongly to traditional cultural and religious standards; therefore, helping professionals need to be ready to determine the background and beliefs of each client or family rather than responding in a stereotypical manner.

  • Feeling rejected or invalidated

    • The current lack of legal acknowledgement of Arab American’s ethnic existence within the US is sometimes experiences as rejection and invalidation

 

  • Who are you? encounters

    • Some Arab Americans may be phenotypically identifiable as a Person of Color yet frequently encounter a “What are you?” reaction from others. Many Arab Americans will have experienced colorism in the context of their racial ambiguity.

  • Great acceptance of holistic approaches

    • There may be a great acceptance of holistic approaches that incorporate family members and the religious or social community, specialty with clients who hold traditional values. At the same time, be aware that in traditionally oriented families, there may be a reluctance to share  family issue or to express negative feelings with helping professionals and addressing confidentiality may be beneficial.

Arab American clients are most likely to benefit when helping professionals understand the cultural context that characterizes the lives of many Arab Americans, but who do not assume that any or all of this context pertains to the particular client who now sits across them. 

 

Marginalized Religious Communities

Some group membership is with a spiritual community. The predominate US religious affiliation is Christian, with the next 2 most popular being Jewish and Muslim faiths, both of which experience significant amounts of stereotyping and discrimination in American society.

 

Some statistics about Jewish Americans:

  • Jewish Americans include people who practice Judaism and have a Jewish ethic background, people who have converted to Judaism but do not have Jewish parents, and individual with a Jewish ethnic background who d not practice Judaism but still maintain their cultural identity and connection to their Jewish decent.

 

  • ~4.2 million individuals are Jewish by religion and 1.1 million are secular of cultural Jews who report that they have no religion but consider themselves to be Jewish.

 

  • The Jewish population in the US is estimated to be 5.8 million people. 85% of Jewish Americans were born in the US and almost all are native English speakers.

 

  • 94% of Jewish Americans identify as White.

 

  • Jews are a highly educated group and their income level, and household wealth is much high that that oof the total population.

 

Some statistics about Muslim Americans:

 

  • Islam is a growing faith community that includes ~¼ of the World population, 3.45 million Muslims live in the US.

 

  • The majority of US Muslims, 58%, are first generation Americans who were born in another country while 24% are US. Natives whose parents were born in the US.

 

  • 2 major sects are Sunni and Shite, with the Sunni’s being the majority at 90%

 

Strengths and Resiliencies

Jewish Americans

Ethnic Identity

 

  • Many Jewish individual’s identity is tied to historical events; therefore, being Jewish is not just religious beliefs but cultural traditions and ancestry.

 

Gender-related considerations

 

  • Although Jewish denominations arise from a traditionally patriarchal system, most Jewish Americans have moved toward an egalitarian relationship between spouses, but some denominations still adhere to specific role divisions between males and females.

 

Cultural Strengths

 

  • Judaism is a culture with a set of traditions and historical experiences that provides members with a sense of connection and commonality and with feelings of acceptance. For some, sociocultural connection is more central to individual and family life than the religious aspect, which can serve as protective factors against the discrimination and prejudice that Jews face.  

 

Muslim Americans

 

Ethnic Identity

 

  • Lives of traditionally observant Muslims are governed by Islamic laws derived from the Quran, which deals with social issues, family life, economic and business, sexuality, and other aspects of life. Traditionally oriented Muslim Americans may avoid certain aspects of American society, preferring to maintain contact with individuals from their own religious groups or country of origin.

 

Gender-related considerations

 

  • Family roles are complementary, with men serving as provider and head of the family and women maintaining the home and rearing children.

 

Cultural Strengths

 

  • Being Muslim is not only a question of religious beliefs but also supports a way of life that encompasses cultural and family considerations, along with the values of hard work and community services.

 

Potential Challenges

Jewish Americans

  • Biggest Challenges Prejudice and discrimination

    • Since the Middle ages Jewish people have experienced persecution, oppression, and second-class status, as well as being targeted for massacre or expulsion from their homes. They have been stereotyped as hungry for wealth, power, and control, and they have been scapegoated during periods of financial distress. They are also often the targets of hate crimes and antisemitism. Therefore, what constitutes Jewish identity is complex and highly personal.

 

Muslim Americans

  • Mental health stigma

    • The stigmatization of mental illness and mental health services can act as a barrier to treatment for this group.

  • Misinterpretation and misunderstanding Islam religious values

    • Islam’s stereotypical portrayal as a violet religion is widespread in American culture, fueling antimulsim and microaggressions. This continues to be fueled by 9/11 and current wars. The vast majority of Muslim Americans reject all forms of extremism and express concern over its rise both I the US and other countries.

Applied Considerations

 

Jewish Americans

  • Jewish identity

    • Is it critical helping professionals be aware of prejudice and discrimination that Jewish American clients may experience and how that may inform the working relationship. Its important for helping professionals to understand the full spectrum of Jewish identities within the Jewish population, including those of both religious and nonreligious Jews.

  • Stigma

    • Some Jewish groups may be hesitant to seek counseling services due to fear they may be judged by their community or asked to do things that are against their religious beliefs. Helping professional may consider working jointly along side a Rabbi so consulting and religious beliefs do not conflict. It is also difficult to use culturally appropriate interventions because of the diversity of Jewish culture

  • Holistic practice

 

Muslim Americans

  • Educate

  • Stigma

    • Americans who are not Muslim often possess little knowledge about Muslim Americans and have been exposed to misinformation. It is important the helping profession learns about the Muslim community and beliefs and traditions in order to counteract this stigmatization