EditorialHigher education in a transforming society: The case of Arabs in Israel
Section snippets
Axes of difference in the diversity turn
Ever since the Second World War, societies have been facing a growing challenge of becoming more and more diverse on dimensions of race, ethnicity, religion and country of origin. While the debate on the value and meaning of living in multicultural societies and the discourse of multiculturalism are still dominant in academic circles, the recently coined term ‘diversity turn’ indicates the prevalence of people of diverse ethnic groups living together in the same geographical space. Indeed,
Arabs in Israel
Arabs constitute a minority in the State of Israel since its establishment in 1948. Following expulsion and flight in the 1948 war, the Arab population within the borders of the State of Israel numbered 156,000. Sixty-five years later, Arabs in Israel constitute 1.685 million (20.7% of the general population, which is predominantly Jewish), of them 82.4% Muslims, 9.0% Christians and 8.5% Druze (Gharrah, 2012). Hence, the Arab society in Israel is composed of different religious groups, and is
The current special issue
The emerging perspective on diversity that relies on the recognition of a variety of axes of difference highlights new insights regarding research on the academic pipeline problem among minority youth and may point to new practices that engender broader participation of minority youth in higher education. Attention to the diverse needs of different social groups in society may include emphasis on cultural elements specific to each minority group, characteristics of the relevant contexts (e.g.
Conclusion
Collectively, the articles in the special issue add to our understanding of processes that take place socially and individually, in relation to the experience of education in general and higher education specifically, across multiple axes of difference. A better understanding of barriers and resources in the context of transformation, of the dynamics of social change and movement from traditional society to modernity, carry the potential to contribute constructively to the transformation
References (38)
Between tradition and modernization: understanding the problem of Bedouin female dropout
British Journal of Sociology of Education
(2006)State-controlled education and identity formation among the Palestinian Arab minority in Israel
American Behavioural Scientist
(2006)Education, empowerment and control: the case of the Arabs in Israel/Albany
(1995)‘Trapped between two worlds’—Muslim Palestinian women from Israel in Jordanian universities: new identity and the price it demands
Social Identities
(2011)Israeli education policy since 1948 and the state of Arab education in Israel
Italian Journal of Sociology of Education
(2012)- et al.
Emigration for higher education: the case of Palestinians living in Israel studying in Jordan
Higher Education Policy
(2010) - et al.
Higher education abroad: Palestinian students from Israel studying in Jordanian universities
Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education
(2013) - et al.
Arab–Jewish bilingual co-education in Israel: a long-term approach to inter-group conflict resolution
Journal of Social Issues
(2004) Bridging multiple worlds: culture, identities, and the pathway to college
(2011)