In transition to modernity: Druze students choose an image of the Druze woman

Transition to modernity affects society members' knowledge and beliefs about their changing society and therefore deserves consideration by community leaders and educators. The Druze are a small minority who are well-integrated in Israeli life but at the same time passionately preserve their culture. The processes experienced by the young of this minority are representative of processes occurring in today's minorities in most heterogeneous societies. The present study examined the influence of a text on Druze students' choices of images depicting women's roles in their changing society. Students from elementary, middle, and high school levels were asked to choose one image out of a pool of ten, depicting traditional, transitional, or modern Druze women, and to explain their choices. In each age group, four conditions were designed. One group performed this task with no prior reading of a text, whereas the other three performed it after reading one of three text versions-traditional, transitional, or modern-describing Druze women. No significant age or sex patterns emerged. Most students in the no-text condition chose either a modern or traditional image of women. Text reading significantly influenced image choices; however, students tended to rely on the text to explain traditional image choices, whereas transitional and modern explanations were self-generated. Awareness of the cultural views of young minority members is essential for cultural preservation and may guide community leaders and educators in the application of effective means for nurturing this youth cultural capital.