Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences – Department of Conflict Resolution Studies

First Advisor

Elena P. Bastidas

Second Advisor

Mary Hope Schwoebel

Third Advisor

Neil H. Katz

Keywords

anti-Semitic violence, cultural diversity, human needs theory, Jewish immigrants, social identity theory, South Florida

Abstract

Approximately 514,000 Jewish immigrants fled from different countries during World War II and migrated to South Florida. They came from Poland, Russia, Cuba, Brazil, France, Syria, Israel, and other countries, hoping to find a more tolerant and secure place to raise their families. However, anti-Semitic violence and incidents have occurred over the years. This dissertation relies on Social Identity Theory and Human Needs Theory to understand the causes of the conflicts among the different groups. Using a quantitative methodology, the author collected information on participants’ perceptions toward anti-Semitism and safety needs. This study included 300 participants of the second and third Jewish immigrant generations from Miami Dade County, Broward County, and Palm Beach County in Florida. The results indicated that over 64.7% of Jewish participants strongly agreed or agreed they were more worried about encountering anti-Semitism or discrimination in neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, or other places now than in the past ten years. There were 76.3% believed the lack of awareness of cultural diversity and inclusion was a cause of anti-Semitism and discrimination. The results also showed 55.3% of participants thought a lack of awareness of cultural diversity and inclusion was a factor for a person to experience an anti-Semitic attack or discrimination. This study provided explicit recommendations for different groups dealing with anti-Semitism and discrimination.

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