Not bound by the law: legal disobedience in Israeli society.

The issue of whether there is a 'prima facie obligation to obey the law' has intrigued human society since the days of Socrates. However, most of the writings in this field have dealt with theoretical aspects of the issue, such as the boundaries of legal obedience and frameworks defining the circumstances under which a citizen is not obliged to obey the law. Very few studies have investigated the phenomenon of legal disobedience empirically. The current study is based on a survey of Israeli citizens belonging to three sectors of the population (Jews in the general population, Israeli Arabs, and orthodox Jewish students enrolled in religious yeshiva seminaries). Respondents' attitudes towards the judicial system, the rule of law, and the duty to obey state laws were examined by means of a questionnaire especially designed for the study. The findings point to gaps between the three groups: Compared to the Arab population and the yeshiva students, support for state laws and the rule of law was stronger among Jews in the general population and, conversely, belief in the supremacy of other laws (i.e. religious laws) over state laws and readiness to take the law into one's own hands were stronger among the Arabs and the yeshiva students, compared to the general Jewish population.

From bedside nursing to managerial roles: changing occupational perceptions of nursing students.

This longitudinal study examined changes in the occupational perceptions of nursing students studying in a non-traditional undergraduate nursing program. The respondents, 210 first- and second-year nursing students, completed a questionnaire measuring the perceived importance of traditional and non-traditional nursing interventions and values. Questionnaires were administered at the beginning and at the end of the academic year. Students studying in a more traditional program comprised the control group. The results show that certain traditional nursing activities and values are perceived as more important by first-year students compared with second-year students in both programs, whereas the perceived importance of non-traditional activities is higher among second-year students. The preference for non-traditional interventions is stronger among students in the non-traditional nursing program. The results are discussed with regard to the gradual effect of nursing education on students' occupational perceptions.

Evaluation of an innovative curriculum: nursing education in the next century.

The present research focused on an interim evaluation of a new nursing curriculum made by first- and second-year undergraduates. Study 1 examined the assessments made by 90 students of the new, actual programme of their studies, as well as an ideal one, on 21 bipolar criteria reflecting the developing changes in health care practices and higher educational processes in western society. The results of study 1 indicated that students perceived the actual programme as compatible with health care changes, but lacking in terms of the learning process. Study 2 investigated the same assessments among 105 registered nurses who evaluated the traditional nursing programme under which they were trained as well as an ideal one. The results of study 2 showed that registered nurses perceived past curricula as lower than the ideal on both health care and process of learning. The results of this interim evaluation imply that the new nursing curriculum follows health care trends, but a shift in the educational process is required.

Instrumental and normative motives for compliance with traffic laws among young and older drivers.

The study compares young and older drivers' motives for compliance with traffic laws. Instrumental motives, such as perceived danger of violations, and normative motives, such as a sense of obligation to obey the law, were explored. A questionnaire was administered to 693 male drivers in the Israeli army. The results support previous findings, showing that young drivers' motives for compliance with traffic laws, both instrumental and normative, are weaker than those of older drivers. The differences between the two age groups are larger with regard to normative than to instrumental motives. The commission of traffic violations by young drivers is predicted by the normative motives of a sense of obligation to obey traffic laws and perceived fairness of punishment. The commission of driving violation by older drivers is predicted by the instrumental motive of perceived danger of violations. The differences between young and older drivers' motives are discussed.