Intersection of Ethnicity,Gender and Class: Oriental Faculty Women in Israel

Ethnicity, gender and class are the major factors of social inequality and have been studied extensively leading to a large literature pertaining to each one of them. The issue of the intersection of ethnicity, gender and class has been introduced into the social sciences by feminist critical theory. Intersection theory postulates that minority groups are discriminated against on the basis of more than one characteristic which are “inextricably tied” leading to complex forms of inequality in various social domains. This study examines the intertwined effects of these factors as they are experienced and narrated by Mizrachi women (19) who are employed in universities and colleges. Although the intersection approach is generally supported by the data it was found that under certain conditions ethnicity, gender and class may be separated. One type of decomposition is when one identity encroaches upon another or others; the second is the separation of diverse identities assigning them to different life areas. These change processes do not support stereotypical dichotomies between Ashkenazi and Mizrachi, women and men and so on, and enable the creation of new hybrid identities.

Nina TorenEmail:

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Nina Toren   is professor of sociology in the School of Business Administration, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She holds a B.A. and M.A. from the Hebrew University, and a Ph.D. degree from Columbia University in New York. She is the author of Social Work: The Case of a Semi-Profession, Science in Cultural Context: Soviet Scientists in Comparatrive Perspective, Hurdles in the Halls of Science: The Israeli Case, and articles on immigrant scientists, professionals in organizations and women in nontraditional occupations. She was Chair of the Committee of Women’s Representation in the Civil Service, and the Committee for the Advancement of Women in Academia.