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The Subjective Well-Being of Immigrants Aged 50 and Older in Israel

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Abstract

The present study evaluated the integration of elderly people who migrated to Israel during their lifetimes. Subjective well-being, as measured by the immigrants’ perception of quality of life, satisfaction with life and emotional state, served as a general indicator of integration. The integration of elderly immigrants has not received adequate attention in the literature. A unique database (SHARE-Israel) that was recently released has made study of this topic possible. The current study sample was composed of former migrants aged 50 and older (n = 930). The analytic model examined ethnic origin and migration variables in relation to the respective subjective outcomes, controlling for sociodemographic background, human and social capital and health. The findings show that in general, ethnic origin seems to matter less for the evaluation of immigrants’ subjective well-being than other socio economic factors such as economic status, social capital and health status. However, recent arrivals from the Former Soviet Union do differ from all other immigrant groups in their lower levels of well-being. In addition, the study points to the importance of language proficiency as a central means for integration in the destination country.

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Notes

  1. As mentioned, the correlation between YSM and age at migration was very strong (−0.85). We tried to enter these two variables into one equation, but the models did not fit. We then, examined each equation using one of the variables and the results were identical. Since YSM has more theoretical ground we decided to use it.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer, Israel

    Karin Amit

  2. Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

    Howard Litwin

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  1. Karin Amit
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  2. Howard Litwin
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Correspondence to Karin Amit.

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Amit, K., Litwin, H. The Subjective Well-Being of Immigrants Aged 50 and Older in Israel. Soc Indic Res 98, 89–104 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-009-9519-5

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