The Effects of Sociocultural Transitioning on Accessibility to Healthcare: The Case of Haredi Jews Who Leave Their Communities
Minority groups and immigrants encounter complex issues when attempting to
access healthcare. This study examines factors afecting access to healthcare by a
group of individuals in Israel who decided to leave their Haredi Jewish communities. We conducted 23 semi-structured interviews with individuals disafliating
from Haredi communities in Israel in order to identify hurdles encountered during the process of seeking healthcare. We focused on specifc steps in this process,
including recognizing the need for help, deciding to actually turn to the health system, interaction with the system, and behavior after referring to the health system.
We identifed approximately 20 factors which can be either barriers or catalysts
afecting healthcare access at the various stages. These were then traced to religious
upbringing, hurdles of sociocultural transition, and unique characteristics of individuals reshaping their lives. The fndings can be instrumental in designing culturally adapted health programs for individuals leaving the Haredi community. Moreover, the methodology that we are proposing can serve other investigations studying
access to healthcare among various groups undergoing sociocultural transitions.
Report of research conducted at the request of the Council for Higher Education as part of building an optimal model for integrating those leaving the Ultra-Orthodox community into academia, planned for initial inclusion in the upcoming Council for Higher Education five-year plan.
