Which way to go? Women's walking decisions and Ultra-Orthodox enclaves in Jerusalem

Abstract

This article explores how material and ideological forms of social exclusion manifest at the borders of Ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem and play out in the walking patterns of surrounding (non-Ultra-Orthodox) populations. It is based on a pilot study that uses a mixed methods design consisting of mental maps and questionnaires to examine how (particularly female) residents living in close proximity to Ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods perceive these spaces, experience themselves in relation to the gender norms reproduced there and make wayfinding choices accordingly. This study builds on previous ones that have explored both the contested terrain of Jerusalem's city center and the dynamic relationship between the social and the spatial to include a discussion of how religiosity and cultural politics express themselves in the commonplace, embodied act of the female pedestrian.

¿Por dónde ir? Las decisiones de recorrido de las mujeres y los enclaves ultraortodoxos en Jerusalén

Este artículo analiza cómo las formas materiales e ideológicas de exclusión social se manifiestan en las fronteras de los barrios judíos ultraortodoxos en Jerusalén y afectan a los patrones de recorridos en las poblaciones de los alrededores (no ultraortodoxas). Se basa en un estudio piloto que utiliza métodos de diseño mixtos que consisten en mapas mentales y cuestionarios para examinar cómo residentes (particularmente mujeres) que viven en muy próximos a los barrios ultraortodoxos perciben estos espacios, experimentan las normas de género reproducidas allí y toman decisiones en de recorridos de acuerdo a ellas. Este estudio se basa en otros estudios previos que han analizado tanto el terreno disputado del centro de la ciudad de Jerusalén como la relación dinámica entre lo social y lo espacial para incluir una discusión sobre cómo la religiosidad y la política cultural se expresan en el lugar común, el acto corporizado de la mujer peatón.

往哪儿走？耶路撒冷中的步行决定和极端正统派的族裔飞地

本文探讨社会排除的物质及意识形态形式，如何展现在耶路撒冷的极端正统派犹太社区的边界，并展现于周遭（非超正统派）人们的步行形式。本文运用包含心灵地图以及问卷的混合方法设计之前导研究，据此检视住在极端正统派邻里附近的居民，如何感知这些空间、根据其中再生产的性别常规来经验自身，并以此决定路径的选择。本研究建立在探讨耶路撒冷市中心的竞逐地域和社会与空间之间的动态关係之过往研究，以此纳入笃信宗教和文化政治如何展现于平凡事物、意即女性行人所体现的行动之讨论。

Keywords::

• gender
• spatial behavior
• walking
• route choice
• religious geographies
• embodiment

Palabras claves::

• género
• comportamiento espacial
• caminar
• elección de recorridos
• geografías religiosas
• encarnación

关键词::

• 性别
• 空间行为
• 步行
• 路径选择
• 信仰地理
• 体现

Acknowledgements

We thank Prof Eran Feitelson for his guidance in developing the foundation of the paper and encouraging its publication, Prof Ilan Salomon for opening up the world of mental maps and providing many thoughtful suggestions, Dr Gillad Rosen for his continued encouragement, advice and wonderful optimism, Dr Reuven Singer for his endless patience, support and careful readings and Daniel Viltsek for his tenderness, support and for always making space for the writing process to unfold. Many thanks to our excellent reviewers whose very thoughtful and detailed comments greatly contributed to the clarity and cohesiveness of the paper.

Notes

^1. A small Jewish town or village in Eastern Europe.

^2. The maps given to respondents did not have the pale gray layer of the Ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods.

^3. Respondents live in the City Center, Nachlaot, Machane Yehuda and Rechavia.

^4. The neighborhoods that the men avoided entering are neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, this figure is relatively close to the amount of women (28%) who stated that they would avoid East Jerusalem neighborhoods.When asked what neighborhoods they would avoid walking in various East Jerusalem neighborhoods were given, including: Shuafat, Wadi Joz, A-Tur, most stated ‘East Neighborhoods’. The reasons that these neighborhoods were avoided are related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and are not expanded within the context of this article.

^5. Other neighborhoods that women choose to avoid are: Geula, Sanhedria, Bucharim, Romema, Shmuel Hanavi, Mekor Baruch, Strauss, Bar Ilan at night, some stated ‘Ultra-Orthodox Neighborhoods’. Note that Shaari Chesed was not directly mentioned.

^6. The incidents reported by men occurred in East Jerusalem (an area that one respondent clearly stated that he would avoid at night), none of the male incidents were reported in Ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods, while the incidents that females reported occurred in Ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods.

^7. More than one incident may have happened to the same respondent.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rachel Singer

Rachel Singer is currently studying Urban Design (M.UrbsDes) at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem. Research interests include differences in gender perceptions concerning the use of urban space; planning and politics in Jerusalem during the twentieth century; tourism and local community participation in urban heritage sites.

Rachel Bickel

Rachel Bickel is currently exploring how questions of citizenship, identity and belonging manifest in the State of Israel/Palestine, particularly around the issue of conversion.