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JabbarAAsibs_Thesis.pdf (513.52 KB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Arab Americans: The Effects of Birth Order, Gender, and Acculturation on Sibling Relationships

Jabbar, Huda
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1667314438176695

Abstract Details

, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, Sociology.
Siblings have the greatest history of shared experiences and are often the longest held relationship across an individual’s life course. American immigrant sibling have been found to have even stronger bonds compared to the native born population as immigrant siblings become closer through the process of migration. The acculturative gap model suggests that children acculturate faster than their parents. This leads to parents depending on their children to navigate through social institutions by acting as language and cultural brokers. Arab Americans families are an interesting immigrant subgroup to examine as they are one of the fastest growing immigrant populations and have been found to be more orthodox than other immigrant subgroups, especially in relation in gender roles and expectation. This project aims to answer two questions.1) What roles do Arab Americans’ siblings hold in each other’s lives as related to their birth order and gender? 2) In what ways does the sibling relationship play a part in the acculturative process for Arab Americans? Through analysis of 21 in-depth interviews with Arab Americans that have siblings across the US, I find that while elder siblings within Arab American families tend to have a greater number of responsibilities than their younger siblings, elder sisters are more frequently tasked with cultural brokering and caretaking responsibilities for their families. In addition, despite elder sisters having greater levels of responsibility, this did not translate into elder sisters having more authority. Elder sisters were policed in their acculturative experiences at higher rates than their brothers. This caused for strain in the relationship between sisters and their brothers. In response to the acculturative restrictions of their sisters, Arab American brothers either supported the gendered differential treatment, or implicitly attempted to create equality in ways that did not cause conflict between them and their parents. This study extends upon our understandings of immigrant sibling relationships by understanding the nuances within the Arab American experience. Results contribute to overall immigrant family well-being scholarship.
Sarah Hayford (Advisor)
Reanne Frank (Committee Member)
Rin Reczek (Committee Member)
Sociology
siblings, Arab Americans, family, acculturation, gender, immigration

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Jabbar, H. (n.d.). Arab Americans: The Effects of Birth Order, Gender, and Acculturation on Sibling Relationships [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1667314438176695

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Jabbar, Huda. Arab Americans: The Effects of Birth Order, Gender, and Acculturation on Sibling Relationships. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1667314438176695.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Jabbar, Huda. "Arab Americans: The Effects of Birth Order, Gender, and Acculturation on Sibling Relationships." Master's thesis, Ohio State University. Accessed APRIL 06, 2025. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1667314438176695

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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