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Abstract of Articles of TRR 28(3), 2003
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| Globalization
and the Role of Educational Travel to Israel in the Ethnification
of American Jews
(Lilach Lev Ari, Yoel Mansfeld &
David Mittelberg) |
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The globalization of contemporary life
has been observed as having the twin consequences of,
on the one hand, the homogenization of different cultures,
while, on the other it brings out the commonality of all
cultures relativization due to the heightened contact
between them. Globalization also generates a renewed ethnicity
as a response to cultural homogenization. This study will
present, through comparative longitudinal analysis, the
changes in Jewish identity of North American college -
age Jews from their arrival in Israel as volunteer tourists,
the conclusion of their program, as well as after they
have returned to their home country. The analysis utilizes
two multi-stage longitudinal data sets: (1) data gathered
in North America, through mail survey, from 362 alumni
who participated in the Otzma program during 1987-1995,
(2) data gathered from 269 Oren Kibbutz Institute alumni
who participated in the program during 1989-1994 (a period
of stable performance of the inbound tourist flow to Israel).
The mail survey on which this data is based was conducted
between 1994 (Oren) and 1996 (Otzma), with a follow up
response rate of 52% among Otzma alumni and 54% among
Oren alumni. It seems that during the years that have
passed since participation in both programs, the participant’s
ethnic identity as American Jews has become stronger since
their Israel volunteer tourism experience. Indeed, while
participants in each program started out with quite different
pre program scores, (Otzma being higher than Oren), the
pattern and gradient of increase among alumni of both
programs was found to be strikingly similar. Thus, somewhat
paradoxically, the globalization of the macro categories
of cultural identity, rather than leading to homogenization
may serve to predispose the ethnification and cultural
renewal of American Jews through the medium of volunteer
travel, by way of the individual choice to experience
Israel.
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Copyright Tourism Recreation Research & Tej Vir Singh |
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