SuperWoman of Valor: Can the modern day superwoman co-exist with the traditional woman of valor? An in-depth study on ultra-Orthodox Jewish women in a culturally specific College Program
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Title
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SuperWoman of Valor: Can the modern day superwoman co-exist with the traditional woman of valor? An in-depth study on ultra-Orthodox Jewish women in a culturally specific College Program
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Identifier
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d_2009_2013:152257f95024:11437
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identifier
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11916
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Creator
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Fried-Stern, Briendy,
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Contributor
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Mimi Abramovitz
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Date
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2012
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Social work | Adult education | Womens studies | Judaic studies | Ethnic studies
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Abstract
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The changing role of women brought on by social and economic transformations has affected higher educations as well as the workforce. As more women return to college, there is a growing interest in the "returning women" and nontraditional college student. However, little research exists on "returning women" from religious communities. The present phenomenological study focuses on the shifting role of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman from the traditional Eishet Chayil- Woman of valor- to the "returning woman" attending a culturally specific college. Grounded in systems theory and guided by role theory concepts the study seeks to gain knowledge regarding the ways in which these ultra-Orthodox Jewish mothers deal with both attending college and its impact on their roles and relationships. Twenty-six self-identifying ultra-Orthodox Jewish students were recruited for this study via flyers and snowball sampling. Three main themes emerged from the interviews (1) shifts in their community and their role expectations (2) their experiences in school and the need for support and (3) rewards and conflict from these experiences.;Additionally, this study provides a comprehensive review of the needs of ultra-Orthodox Jewish mothers as they juggle multiple roles. It describes the community's changing views about college, the ways in which women managed both role conflicts and reward, and how college attendance led women to reconstruct their roles and their relationships. The study findings indicate that due to the community's financial needs, need for professionals from their community, changing times and the existence of culturally specific college programs the community's leaders and members became more accepting of college attendance. Though it was expected that women attended college due to economic need, many women attended due to a desire for change or a life altering experience which drove them to enroll in college. Women found college to be rewarding not only academically, but it increased their self-esteem, self-confidence, self-respect and altered their position in the home giving them greater purpose. They also benefitted from role enhancement, role expansion and a new conception of the Eishet Chayil. Conflict that they faced in terms of cultural role expectations, (e.g.; Eishet Chayil, holiday and Sabbath obligations) role conflict, role overload, time constraints, the need to blend school and family and constant feelings of guilt were highlighted as well. Women did not question their religious beliefs, possibly due to the culturally specific college program, but they did question community beliefs which they were raised with. Even though they reconceptualized their role and role expectations participants in the study prioritized their traditional roles over their new student role. Most importantly, though, the present study serves to highlight the importance of support for change to occur within not only an individual but a community as well.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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2009_2013.csv
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Social Welfare
