Agency of preservation or change: ultra-Orthodox educated women in the field of employment

ABSTRACT

Within the last two decades, significant changes have been taking place in ultra-Orthodox society in Israel regarding higher education and entry into the workforce. This study examines the socio-religious identity of educated ultra-Orthodox women in light of their entry into the workforce. Findings show that although these women are leading a process of academic and occupational changes in the ultra-Orthodox community, they actually function as agents of preservation, and attest to a rise in their level of religiosity, despite the changes in their lives. Most of them continue to maintain the core values of Ultra-Orthodox society, especially the ideal of a ‘society of scholars’. They do reveal some openness towards the world, but in a limited and controlled manner.

RESUMEN

Cambios significativos con respecto a la educación superior y a la entrada en la fuerza laboral han estado teniendo lugar en las últimas dos décadas dentro la sociedad ultraortodoxa en Israel. Este estudio se encarga de examinar la identidad socio-religiosa de las mujeres ultraortodoxas que poseen un cierto nivel de educación, a partir de su acceso al sector laboral. Resultados han mostrado que aunque estas mujeres están conduciendo un proceso de cambio académico y laboral en la comunidad ultraortodoxa, actualmente también son agentes de preservación, y muestran además un aumento en su nivel de religiosidad; a pesar de los cambios que tienen lugar en sus vidas. La mayoría de ellas mantienen los valores fundamentales de la sociedad ultraortodoxa, especialmente el ideal de la ‘sociedad de eruditos’. Aunque revelan una actitud abierta al mundo, lo hacen de manera limitada y controlada.

KEYWORDS:

• Higher education
• women
• ultra-Orthodox society
• religious behavior
• employment

PALABRAS CLAVE:

• Educación superior
• mujeres
• sociedad ultraortodoxa
• comportamiento religioso
• empleo

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Dr Tehila Kalagy – Teaching Fellow in the Conflict Management & Resolution Program at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev. Research associate on ‘ultra-Orthodox in Israel’ at the Israel Democracy Institute. In research terms, my research focuses on religious groups, fundamentalism and processes of change among conservative groups, especially the ultra-Orthodox and Bedouin society. The need to examine the individual’s jump between the ‘inside’ conservative groups to the ‘outside’ one is very crucial. It may even assist in the generation of policy for other minority groups. The tools I employ for the studies are qualitative ones. Over the years, I have joined forces with colleagues who employ quantitative means of analysis. The combination of the two approaches is vital and provides a rich and powerful platform for the examination of the various issues at the individual and societal level.

Orna Braun-Lewensohn is an Associate Professor and the head of the ‘Conflict Resolution and Conflict Management’ Program at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev (Israel). She received her Ph.D. at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussels in 2007. Her major research interests include mental health outcomes and coping during or following stressful events. The focus of her research is personal as well as communal coping resources in different cultural groups. Her theoretical perspective is the salutogenic model of Antonovsky and the coping theory of Lazarus & Folkman. She is considered an expert in this field. Recently, she was funded by The Israeli Science Foundation for her study: Is salutogenesis a universal construct? Understanding sense of coherence within an indigenous culture. Other main funding resources are Israeli Democracy Institute, Peres Center for Peace etc.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by The Israel Democracy Institute, Policy research 115.