Devorah Kalekin-Fishman

Crossing Borders: Toward a trans-disciplinary scientific identity

For several decades, researchers have addressed the topic of disciplines: how they come into existence, how they are institutionalized, and how they change over time. These discussions have focused on new disciplines and shifting paradigms in the natural and the social sciences, as well as in the humanities. Many of the shifts seem to require increasing reliance on what has been called interdisciplinary research--research carried out in teams whose members are experts in different fields. This article examines how a disciplinary shift was brought about in a single individual. The impetus for the shift is social and organizational, the process is undergone in a bureaucratic context, and the outcome is a kind of scientific identity that has not been explored specifically, that of a transdisciplinary identity in which competencies in the social and the life sciences are interwoven in daily practices.

The impact of globalization on the determination and management of ethical choices in the health arena

In this paper, the meaning and significance of ethical choices in the arena of health under conditions of globalization are explored. The paper first discusses globalization, its theorized sources and consequences, exposing connections between globalization and local developments in diverse milieux. It is pointed out that the ways in which global and local developments interact are related to specific socio-historical and cultural configurations of every locality. Paradoxes which attend the conceptualization of ethical choices under these conditions are highlighted. Finally, conclusions are drawn about how multimethod research, including research designed to elicit emic theory, can contribute to an understanding of what is implied by the management of ethical choices, and of how ethical problems in the health arena can be approached.

Studying alienation: toward a better society?

Purpose – To show that, although it is not intuitively evident, it is clear that, for the researchers, studying alienation is one way of doing social science that contributes to making society better.Design/methodology/approach – Reference is made to early sociologists who developed theories that describe and explain the revolutionary effects of modernity, as evidenced in industrialization and in the enlightenment. The references include Durkheim who developed the concept of anomie to suggest disorders of the consciousness; Weber who described the effects of bureaucratization as an iron cage; and Marx who discussed alienation as a comprehensive structural concept.Findings – In light of what they saw as the key concept for the frustrations, each of the fathers of sociology had a view of how the malaise of modernity could be overcome. Today, some sociologists can point to concrete paths to improvement. Critical sociologists show that, although alienation is still prevalent, the very structures that cause it...

The two faces of hostility: The implications of personal construct theory for understanding alienation

Abstract Although Kelly did not deal with alienation directly, the theory of personal constructs makes an important contribution to a comprehensive understanding of this complex phenomenon. By relating to specific functions of the individual, personal construct psychology explains how alienation is perpetuated by the very people who are its victims. In this article, 1 point out the link of PCT with the phenomenon of alienation that confirms the implicit presence of the social in the personal construction of reality. This elaboration provides an interpretation of Kellys theory that escapes the limitations of radical individualism and enhances our understanding of sociocultural processes.

Music and Not-Music in Kindergartens

This paper presents an exploratory case study of the constitution of music in kindergartens. An analysis of sonal patterning showed that with the aid of minimal criteria of intentionality—intended pitch and intended rhythm—varieties of typified music making could be discerned. These criteria, however, were not found to be necessarily congruent with those employed by kindergarten teachers, whose own culturally determined criteria serve to delineate a relatively narrow field of music as a body of school-oriented knowledge.

Making Sense of Constant Change Israeli Sociology between Apologetics and Radical Critique

Since its foundation in 1948, Israel has been undergoing constant change associated with the government policy of in-migration, the ‘ingathering of the exiles’ along with the efforts of the state to meet the challenges of a modern, globalizing economy. For a long time, the contribution of sociologists was in the vein of apologetics. They formulated functionalist explanations to show that new immigrants had to be pressured into assimilation. Homogenization of the increasingly variegated Jewish population was presented as a scientifically warranted goal, while groups who were not of ‘western’ origin and those defined as minority groups could be relegated to ‘otherness’ and ‘difference’. The self-presentation of Israel as ‘Jewish and democratic’ was supported by sociological theorizing about Israel as a ‘unique’ sociopolitical phenomenon. The patent theoretical and practical contradictions of the ideology tended to be explained away and for several decades of the states existence, the official ideology was all but unchallenged. With the growth of the academic community of sociologists, and, paradoxically, with the dynamic right-wing changes in politics, economics and culture in train since the 1980s, sociology is increasingly coming into its own. More researchers now attempt to make sense of the changes in ways that are attuned to contradictions. They look at (Israeli) society as a universal multi-factor processthat is subject to discoverable social laws; take as subject matter not what society oughtto be, but primarily what society actually is; and increasingly sift statements and conclusions founded on empirical datain their aspiration to scientific truth.

Diagnosing inequalities in schooling: Ogbu’s orientation and wider implications

Throughout his life, John Ogbu worked untiringly to diagnose the educational problems of minorities, with the goal of remedying them. Although his earliest works propose a comprehensive anthropological approach, his last works seem to settle into exhortations to parents and teachers to put more pressure on (involuntary) minority children whose achievements are low; and to pupils to stop grumbling and get down to taking their schoolwork seriously. In this paper, I claim that Ogbu’s work can be seen to be showing the way to the deployment of more sophisticated theoretical tools in order to attain (1) a more refined analysis of the minority status; and (2) a broader social understanding of the basis for rejecting school standards among different kinds of minorities. By resorting to the broader theoretical approach he pioneered, researchers will be able to propose more effective remedies. ‘The bourgeoisie, by the rapid improvement of all instruments of production, by the immensely facilitated means of communication …. compels all nations … to introduce what it calls civilization into their midst … In one word, it creates a world after its own image’ (Marx & Engels, Communist Manifesto, 1935, p. 27).

Kelly and issues of power

Abstract Whether Kellys personal passion for egalitarianism and democracy is translated into tenets of personal construct theory is addressed. First, Kellys convictions as they appear in the writings are examined. Then sociological criteria are outlined for assessing the degree to which the theory supports the implementation of those convictions and, in its therapeutic application, facilitates autonomy and empowerment. It is concluded that personal construct theory has potential for encouraging people to realize their full liberated potential. Furthermore, it can be extended to enlarge its scope.

Professional Development in Israel: Fostering Multicultural Dialogue among Jewish and Arab Israeli Teachers.

Abstract Can teacher-educators and teachers work together in community, to make a difference in society? The aim of this article is to describe a set of strategies the implementation of which will contribute towards the elaboration of a new ‘culture of teaching’. By promoting practices that lead to the development, in students and educators alike, of communication across cultural, ethnic, religious and national boundaries, of mutual tolerance and acceptance, the program we propose is dedicated to the evolution of a ‘culture for peace’. The program will be implemented and ongoing formative evaluation carried out, in the northern region of Israel, by a team of researchers with the participation of teacher educators and junior high school teachers from various cultural backgrounds. The rationale for the work derives from research literature on the nature of teaching and school change, the foundations of hostility and misunderstanding among people of diverse cultural backgrounds, and the potential of personal narrative for bringing people together. Our purpose in this article is to elaborate this rationale and to engage in critical reflection on the prospects and difficulties that lie ahead

Same or different? A comparative study of habitus—ultra-orthodox and secular students of teaching

Although the state ideology assumes that by virtue of their affiliation with the “same” religion, Jewish citizens of Israel are a culturally homogeneous population, the school system makes room for institutions with different orientations to the faith. To assess whether teachers in schools that differ in their approach to religion are likely to educate children toward a unified Israeli–Jewish culture, we investigated aspects of the habitus, the configuration of dispositions into which student teachers had been socialized. The inquiry is based on research literature related to choosing teaching as a vocation and to the significance of habitus in education. A closed questionnaire on motives for choosing to teach disclosed that secular students cited intrinsic motives (creativity, individual interest), and ultra-orthodox students placed more emphasis on extrinsic motives (gaining a livelihood, community esteem). Findings from semi-structured interviews highlight conspicuous differences between the groups in their conceptions of habits, their processing of attitudes, their values, and their orientation to the functions of teaching. We conclude that an intensive program of intercultural education is needed to overcome the structural and curricular divisions institutionalized in the Israeli school system.