Location, location, location: A contextual analysis of American Jewish identity through the lens of residential density.
Item
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Title
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Location, location, location: A contextual analysis of American Jewish identity through the lens of residential density.
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Identifier
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AAI3283140
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identifier
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3283140
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Creator
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Veinstein, Judith Schor.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Kay Deaux
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Date
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2007
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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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Psychology, Social | Religion, General | Jewish Studies
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Abstract
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Collective identification is a psychological construct that connects individuals to a group of other people. Although the focus of this construct is on the individual, theories of collective identity posit that the ways in which an individual expresses his or her collective identity depend upon the context surrounding the person in a given situation. This research examined the effects of one contextual variable, Jewish residential density, on one type of collective identity, Jewish identity. This study examined the extent to which residential density predicted expressions of four elements of Jewish identification: social networks, subjective attitudes, ritual behaviors, and synagogue affiliation.;An analysis of the National Jewish Population Study 2000-01 showed that residential density was a powerful predictor of Jewish social networks. Even after controlling for respondents' Jewish backgrounds and communities' institutional maturity, Jews living in Jewishly dense residential communities were more likely to have Jewish friends and spouses than those living in Jewishly sparse areas. The same pattern was found between residential density and habitual rituals, or rituals that are performed with regularity throughout the year: Jews living among other Jews were more likely to perform habitual rituals than those living in Jewishly sparse communities.;Density's relationship to subjective identity was mediated by Jewish friendship. Those who had greater numbers of Jewish friends were living in Jewishly dense neighborhoods which resulted in an intensified feeling of connectedness to Judaism and Jewish life. The same mediating relationship was found for density and episodic ritual practice. Episodic ritual practice refers to rituals that are performed annually or once in a while. Those living in Jewishly dense communities had greater numbers of Jewish friends and as a result, performed more episodic rituals than those living in sparsely populated communities.;In contrast, density was inversely related to synagogue affiliation. In this case, Jews living in sparsely populated communities were more likely to be synagogue members than those living in densely populated ones. It is likely that in Jewishly sparse communities synagogue affiliation serves as substitute for the lack of informal networks of Jewish friendships that are found in Jewishly dense communities.;This study elucidates how aspects of the external environment can influence expressions of identification. The findings are discussed in terms of how the landscape of American community and context affect Jewish identification.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
