The Changing Agenda of Israeli Sociology: Theory, Ideology, and Identity

247 Pages·1995·19.48 MB·English

by  Uri Ram

THE
CHANGING
AGENDA OF
IS~El:1
SOGI L
THEORY, IDEOLOGY,
AND IDENTITY
The Changing Agenda of
Israeli Sociology
The Changing Agenda
of Israeli Sociology
Theory, Ideology, and Identity
~
URI RAM
State University of New York Press
Published by
State Univcrsitv of :-.Jew York Press, Alhan,'
<D 1995 State Universitv of :-.Jcw York
All rights rescned
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ram, Uri.
The changing agenda of Israeli sociology: theon', ideology, and
identitv / Cri Ram.
p. cm. - (SCNY series in Israeli studies)
Includes bibliogaphical references (p. ) and inckx.
ISBN 0-7914-2301-/\ (He: acid-free paper). -ISBN 0-7914-2302-6
(pbk. : acid-frec paper)
I. Sociolo).,,]'-Israel. 2. Israel-Politics and government.
I. Title. II. Series.
HM22.I53R36 1995
30 I' .095694-dc20 94-33402
C1P
2 ,I 4 rl () 7 /\ !l 10
For Nav(/, who madp it possiblp to (/(,(()mplish,
and/or I(VrL, who m(uip it impossiblp not to a mplish.
('('0
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IX
Prologue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XI
Chapter I Introduction: Content ill Context ................ .
Chapter 2 Paradigm, Crisis, Revolution:
The Tr~jectory of Israeli Sociology ................ 7
TILl' Tllrff PhaSfS of l~rafli Soriology:
A Post-Kuhnian Tmjator), 7
The External Soria I Dl'tl'rminallt: Histor.''!,
Politicl, and Soriolo{.,,,)' 9
The In/l'rJ/a/ Socia/ Dl'tprlllinant: Highl'r
j,'duration and SoriologJ 14
Chapter 3 The Nation-Building School:
Functionalism ................. ' . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 23
The Thl'orl'timl Framework: .\1'stl'1n
Modl'mization, Nation-Building 26
The Isml'li Nation-Building Pro(l'ss: "Piot/I'ers"
to "Ma,\sl's" 30
Thl' Dynamirs (1'Nation-Building: Growth
DijJfrentiation, Institutionalization 34
Thl' Mizrahi Immigration: DI',\Orialization
and RPsocialization 38
Science and Politirs: Soriology in the SI'1'vice
ofthf State \ Elite 40
Summar), and Critiml A/)/Jmisal 43
Chapter 4 The Vicissitudes of a Paradigm:
Functionalism Revised and Revisited. . . . . . . . . . . . .. 47
Revised Funrtionalism: Objative ~'frsus
Subjfctive Integration 48
Revisited Funrtionalism: Modernization
Rf'llersed 50
\"l COlltCllts
RP1Jisn/ Functio//alism: Micro-I.f1I{'l
Modijimtion 52
Rruision and Rfvisitation: Mfso-I"P11f1
Modijlmtion 57
Status Quo Politics, Status Quo Sociol0l!J 62
SllInmarJ and Critiml A/Jjmlisal 64
Chapter 5 The Shadowy Side of Politics: Elitism 69
° 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 °
The COlltext o/l'.°magnlce: [If}S and DOWNS
o/tlw nitf 70
Thf ThfOretiml FrruflfwOIi!: Con/lict and Elilfs 72
The Poulfr nite: Rise afld Fall o/an Oligarrh 74
From "R('(!" to "Brown": Thf Risf O/thf Right H6
Politics: Neit/wr Vii nor Right 91
SWflllUIIJ and Critiml AjJjJmisal 93
Chapter 6 Beyond the Melting Pot: Pluralism 97
° 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 °
The "Sf('o//d Ism!'!": Tllf RI'('o!of:llitioll o/tlle
"Sociat Di,lj)(llit)''' 9H
The Theorftiml Framework: "Hftfrogflleity
ill the Broadfst Sfrlse" 10 2
[mlet: Three Modes o/IncOlj}()ration 105
Arabs in [mlfl: PalestiniaN Isradis? IOH
/)I'/fwcmtic Plumlism: The Politics 0/
Intn""l!;roup A("('omlllor/ation 112
SWIIII/{//)' a//d Ctitiml Aj}jmlisat 115
Chapter 7 Developed to Be Underdeveloped:
Marxism 119
° 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 °
Radiml Sociology: Its ElIlfrgnlce in fl'rael 121
Critim{ Sociology: Bflwenl "Scinlce" and
"Ideology" 123
From Socialism 10 Eta/ism: Thf Turn Towards
Militarislic Nationalism 127
The Mizrahi Plwiimmfllt: The /)P1Jdopml'llt
of LhlllfrrifllflojJlfle n t 131
Marxist Politin: "A Se('()nri Zionist
RP1lOlutioll" 142
Chapter H Telling an Untold Tale: Feminism 149
° 0 0 0 0000000000 °
Nfw MOllI'lIU'lIt: Feminism Comps to israel 150
Contents VII
New Scholarship: Feminism in Academia 151
Three Feminist Perspectives: Liberal,
Marxist, and Radical 15~\
Feminist Sociology: Three Emerging Modalities 155
Feminist Politics: Equity, Equality,
Empowerment 164
Summary and Critical Appraisal 167
Chapter 9 "A Late Instance of European Overseas
Expansion:" Colonization ..................... , 171
The Frontier Reopened: New and Old Settlers 173
The Blinders of National Sociology: The
Dualist Approach 176
Frontier and Territor}: A Weberian Variation 179
Colon,V and Labor: A Marxist Variation 183
Political Underpinnings: The Territorial
Partition option 191
Summary and Critical Appraisal 193
Chapter 10 Conclusion: Sociology in Society ........ , 197
Epilogue: Towards a Post-Zionist Sociology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 205
Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 209
Index .................................................. 229

LIST OF TABLES*
Table 2.1
The correspondence between political transformations and the
transformation of the sociological agenda in Israel, 1948-1990. 15
Table 3.1
The social system and its spheres, according to Parsonian
structural functionalism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 28
Table 3.2
The characteristics and roles of the Aliyot in the functionalist
nation-building analysis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 34
Table 4.1
The three versions of functionalist sociology in Israel. . . . . . .. 65
Table 5.1
The causal flow in the formation of the Israeli polity, in the
elitist perspective ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 75
Table 5.2
The "bottleneck" location of the Labor elite, in the elitist
perspective ................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 78
Table 5.3
Major characteristics of the Israeli political culture before and
after 1977, in the elitist perspective ...................... 87
Table 6.1
Sets of intergroup relations in Israeli society (1975), according
to the pluralist perspective. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 105
*All tables are composed by the author. Citations from Hebrew sources are translated by
the author.
IX