POL377H1S L0101

Topics in Comparative Politics I

Israel’s Modern Tribes

Themes

In June 2015, Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin gave a speech at the annual Herzliya
Conference discussing the social and political schisms in modern Israeli society.
Rivlin detailed the changes to Israel’s population makeup and how it could harbinger
severe economic and social issues that will threaten the future of the Jewish state
and bring about a “new Israeli order”. This course reviews and analyzes the
characteristics, political, and social transformation experienced by each group and
how it fits into the fabric of Israeli society. Over the years winds of change and collective claims stirred the Israeli “melting pot” and created new realities that exposed early societal cleavages. Throughout the course students will gain a deep understanding of these core issues in modern Israel by analyzing the socio-political cleavages as well as opportunities for integration and compromise between the “new tribes” that make up modern Israeli society.

Tags: State and Society, Israeli Politics, Social Movements

Texts

TBA

Format and Requirements

Students are expected to come to class every week having read and critically reflected on the required readings before class. This is not a lecture course; discussion is primarily student-generated and based on weekly reading. Students will engage in individual and small group assignments that include short essay, presentations, and a final paper.