The research context
The prolonged Israeli occupation exposes the whole Palestinian
population to daily situations of danger, violence, and human rights
abuse, with has significant effects on each member of the community
(McNeely et al., 2014). Palestinian children are exposed to violent
circumstances, night raids, arrest, house demolitions, personal assaults
and injuries, as well as air bombardments (Arafat & Boothby, 2003).
Despite the pervasiveness of the occupation, the living conditions for
children and families might be very different dependent upon their
location in cities or refugee camps, with differing implications on
their well-being. Children’s experiences might vastly differ between
Gaza and the West Bank, while rural villages face their own distinct
challenges, such as the encroaching separation wall, the seizure of
land, and settler violence. Therefore, considering agency as a
socio-culturally grounded concept that can vary from place to place, the
study was conducted in five different sites within the West Bank and the
Gaza Strip, in order to explore the unique place-related experiences
within the different contexts. Table 1 summarizes the different settings
where the sampling was carried-out.
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