10495 Trends in Israeli Society 1
Credits: 6 intermediate credits in Sociology & Anthropology
Prerequisites: none
Recommended: Introduction to Sociology
Authors: Gad Barzilai, Amir Ben-Porat, Lev Grinberg, Dvora Hacohen, Yehiel Limor, Rachel Pasternak, Motti Regev, Zeev Shavit, Sammy Smooha, Ephraim Yaar
Objectives: To develop an awareness of the complexity of Israeli society and an understanding of the major rifts within it, through an analysis of the foci of agreement and controversy regarding its collective (Jewish-Zionist) identity; To explore processes of change and continuity taking place in the social reality of Israel at the beginning of the 21st century, and to examine their development from a socio-historical perspective; To examine the foci of tension and agreement in the institutional and group structure of Israeli society; To provide the student with initial experience in the use of sociological methods of analysis studied in Introduction to Sociology (10134), in preparation for more in-depth and focused study of selected topics covered in advanced courses.
Topics: Zionist ideology and Yishuv society; Collective identity in the Yishuv; Arab-Jewish relations in Israel; Immigration and absorption; Inequality in Israeli society; Social and political economy; Political and legal culture in Israel; Introduction to Israeli culture; Education in Israel; Mass media in Israel; A multi-cleavage society; Change processes in the collective identity.
1There is some overlap in the content of this and other courses. For details, see Overlapping Courses.