Jewish Studies 250 - SOCIOLOGY OF ISRAELI SOCIETY

Explores the development of Israeli society over a period of 120 years, from transformations under Ottoman and British rule, through the emergence of the Zionist movement and social cleavages in contemporary Israel. Students will study different communities that compose Israel's ethnically and religiously diverse society: Jews of Ashkenazi (Euro-American) and Mizrahi (Middle Eastern-North African) origin; Arab citizens of Israel and the negotiation of a Palestinian-Israeli identity; religious groups, including various Ultra-Orthodox denominations; challenges posed by recent waves of immigration from Ethiopia, the former Soviet Union, and migrant workers; social change prompted by secularization, feminism and globalization. What are the conflicts within and between these groups, and what institutions hold this society together? (E)