Understanding attitudes toward honor killing: The roles of gender, cultural identity, and personality traits in druze society- brief report

Abstract

This study examined attitudes toward honor killing among members of the Druze community in Israel, focusing on the roles of gender, cultural identification, and two personality traits—aggression and jealousy. Using a structured questionnaire, data were collected from 305 Druze participants and analyzed using moderation models. Findings revealed that gender differences in attitudes appeared only among younger participants, primarily due to more negative attitudes among younger women. This may reflect shifting social norms, such as increased access to education and employment. Although cultural identification was positively associated with support for honor killing, this relationship was significant only among participants with high levels of aggression. No moderating effect was found for jealousy. These results highlight the unique role of aggression in reinforcing culturally supported violent norms, while suggesting that jealousy—a known risk factor in intimate partner violence—may be less relevant in culturally sanctioned acts like honor killing. This study highlights the need to integrate cultural and psychological perspectives, and suggests evolving gender dynamics within Druze society.