In 2008, we conducted a large scale study following our methodology developed for the analysis of drawings to assess identity (Hertz-Lazarowitz, Farah, & Yosef-Meitav, 2012). We gathered interviews and asked for drawing Identity Drawing Map from 184 students aged from 20-30 years. The symbols in the drawings were grouped in 5 categories: religious, national, emotional, secular-cultural and nature and person figure symbols. The most frequent symbols were related to the nature and person figure category, and the least frequent were symbols from the secular-cultural category. The symbol categories with most indicative of identity conflicts were religious and national. The Arabs had more conflicted and complex IDM messages than Jews and the evaluation of their emotions were less positive and less optimistic than the Jews. The IDM methodology revealed the complex and multi-layered expression of identity construction. These findings can provide better understanding into the mechanism of identity construction in a society and the University context which has been conflict ridden for many decades.
KeywordsHyphenated IdentityUniversity of HaifaJewsArabsIdentity Drawing Map
Arar, K. H., Shapira, T., Azaiza, F., & Hertz-Lazarowitz, R. (2013). Arab women in management and leadership: Stories from Israel, New York: Palgrave Macmillan press. doi:10.1057/9781137319333
Farah, A., & Hertz-Lazarowitz, R. (2009). Identity maps of Arab and Jewish youth on Haifa University campus. Quantities Research Report, Haifa: The Faculty of Education and the Jewish Arab Center, Haifa University. (Hebrew)
Fine, M. (1994). Working the hyphens: Reinventing the self and other in qualitative research. In N. Denzin, & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 70-82). California: Sage.
Ghanem, A. (2006). Civic developments among the Palestinians in Is rael: The third annual book. Markaz Ibn Khaldun lil-Dirasat al-In maiyah.
Gilat, A., & Hertz-Lazarowitz, R. (2009). Religious and non-religious Muslim women experience of empowerment in the private sphere (marriage/parenthood/family) (pp. 211-236). In F. Azaiza, C. H. Abu -Baker, R. Hertz-Lazarowitz, & A. Ghanem (Eds.), Arab women in Israel: Current status and future trends. Tel-Aviv: Ramot Publishing House, Tel Aviv University. (Hebrew)
Gilat, A., & Hertz-Lazarowitz, R. (2009). Women’s experience of per sonal and gender empowerment through university studies: The case of Jewish and Arab religious and non-religious women (pp. 133 148). In R. Hertz-Lazarowitz, & I. Oplatka (Eds.), Gender and ethnicity in the Israeli academy. Haifa: Pardes publisher. (Hebrew)
Gerges, F. A. (2003). Islam and Muslims in the mind of America. An nals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 588, 73-89. doi:10.1177/0002716203588001006
Herman, S. N. (1977). Jewish identity: A social psychological perspective. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Hertz Lazarowitz, R., Rouhana, N., Hofman, J. E., & Beit Hallahmi, B. (1978). Curricular influence on identity among Jewish and Arab school students in Israel. Studies in Education, 19, 153 169.
Hertz-Lazarowitz, R., Azaiza, F., Peretz, H., Zelniker, T., Kupermintz, H., & Sharabany, R. (2007). National identity and perception of the university as a context of coexistence VS a context of conflict (pp. 159-167) In G. Rahav, Y. Wozner, F. Azaiza, & M. Wander-Sch wartz (Eds.), Youth in Israel 2005. Tel-Aviv: Ramot Tel-Aviv Uni versity Publishers. (Hebrew)
Hertz-Lazarowitz, R., Farah, A., & Zoabi, N. (2007). Identity maps of Arab and Jewish youth on Haifa University campus. Manual Devel opment and Research Report, Haifa: The Faculty of Education and the Jewish Arab Center, Haifa University. (Hebrew)
Hertz-Lazarowitz, R., Yosef-Meitav, M., & Zoabi, N. (2007). Identity maps of Arab and Jewish youth on Haifa University campus. Quali tative Research Report, Haifa: The Faculty of Education and the Je wish Arab Center, Haifa University. (Hebrew)
Hertz-Lazarowitz, R., Yosef-Meitav, M., Farah, A., & Zoabi, N. (2010). Draw your identity: Hyphenated Identity maps and interviews of Arabs and Jewish youth at Haifa University. Studies in Education, 3, 126 155. (Hebrew)
Hertz-Lazarowitz, R., Farah, A., & Yosif-Meitav, M. (2012). Hyphen ated identity development of Arab and Jewish teachers within con flict ridden multicultural settings. 10th Annual Conference of the Bulgarian Comparative Education Society (BCES) International Per spectives on Education, Kyustendil, 12-15 June 2012.
Hertz-Lazarowitz, R., Zelniker, T., & Azaiza, F. (2010). Theoretical framework for cooperative participatory action research (CPAR) in a multicultural campus: The social drama model. Intercultural Educa tion, 21, 269-279. doi:10.1080/14675981003760457
Hofman, J. E. (1988). To be Jews and Arabs in Israel. In J. E. Hofman (Ed.), Arab-Jewish relations in Israel: A quest of human under standing (pp. 154-175). Bristol, IA: Wyndham Hall Press.
Jarymowicz, M., & Bar-Tal, D. (2006). The dominance of fear over hope in the life of individuals and collectives. European Journal of Social Psychology, 36, 367-392. doi:10.1002/ejsp.302
Katsiaficas, D., Hertz-Lazarowitz, R., Sirin, S., Fine, M., Yosef-Meitav, M., Farah, A., & Zoabi, N. (2008). Mapping contested identities: Methodological implications for developing identity narratives. The 6th Annual Diversity Challenge, ISPRC, Boston College.
Leonard, H. S. (2003). Leadership development for the postindustrial, postmodern information age. Consulting Psychology Journal: Prac tice and Research, 55, 3-14. doi:10.1037/1061-4087.55.1.3
Maoz, I., Steinberg, S., Bar-On, D., & Fakhereldeen, M. (2002). The dialogue between the “self” and the “other”: A process analysis of Palestinian-Jewish encounters in Israel. Human Relations, 55, 931 962. doi:10.1177/0018726702055008178
Rouhana, N. N. (2004) Group identity and power asymmetry in recon ciliation processes: The Israeli-Palestinian case. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 10, 33-52. doi:10.1207/s15327949pac1001_3
White-Stephan, C., Hertz-Lazarowitz, R., Zelniker, T., & Stephan, W. G. (2004). Introduction to improving Arab-Jewish relationship in Is rael: Theory and practice in coexistence education programs. Journal of Social Issues, 60, 237-252.
Yosef-Meitav, M. (2008). The construction of multiple identities in Haifa University: Do they create space for dialogue or conflict? MA Thesis, Haifa: University of Haifa.
Zelniker, T., Hertz-Lazarowitz, R., Peretz, H., Azaiza, F., & Sharabany, R. (2009). Arab and Jewish students participatory action research at the University of Haifa: A model for peace education. In C. Mc Glynn, M. Zembylas, Z. Bekerman, & T. Gallagher (Eds.), Peace education in conflict and post-conflict societies: Comparative per spectives (pp. 199-214). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.