Social setting effects on gender differences in self-esteem: kibbutz and urban adolescents

The study investigated the effect of two multidimensional systems - namely, social setting and the self - upon adolescents' growth and development. Specifically, we hypothesized that gender differences in adult social status are greater in the kibbutz than in the Israeli urban setting, and that this gap is associated with gender differences in global self-esteem among kibbutz youth. The Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, and scales from Marsh's Self-Description Questionnaire III and from Harter's Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents were administered to 569 kibbutz and urban adolescents from Grades 9 to 11. Data on academic achievement and parental status was also obtained. Kibbutz mothers were found to have significantly lower social status than fathers, while kibbutz girls had significantly lower self-esteem than kibbutz boys and urban adolescents of both sexes. The organization of the self-concept of kibbutz females differed from the other groups: self-esteem was predicted not only from self-concepts in the domains of scholastic achievement and peer support, but also from the domain of parental support, from academic achievement, and from father's occupational status.