Psychological Aspects of Civic Engagement during the Legislative Crisis in Israel

Abstract

This study examined the applicability of a model delineating 2 possible paths regarding the role of anxiety in civic engagement/involvement in times of socio-political unrest. Set within the height of the civil demonstrations against and for the legal reform in Israel, we presented two models: one sees civic involvement as an action aimed at reducing the sense of helplessness thus reducing anxiety, while the other sees anxiety as a preliminary response-oriented mechanism therefore predicted a positive association between levels of anxiety and civic engagement. Based on these two approaches a comprehensive model was designed in which anxiety and positive and negative responses mediate the association between demographics, coping resources (resilience and optimism) and civic engagement. A sample of 386 Israeli citizens displaying diverse political orientations, ages and education levels was recruited via social networks. Participants reported demographic variables, and filled out questionnaires assessing their resilience, optimism, state anxiety, responses to the reform and their level of civic engagement/participation around the legal reforms. The results supported the second path. Anxiety and response patterns mediated the association between gender, resilience, optimism, and attitudes toward reform and civic engagement. Anxiety was mostly positively associated with engagement, mostly. The results are discussed as they shed new light on psychological resources and the dynamic underlying civic activism in times of socio-political crisis.