Routine Emergency: The Meaning of Life for Israelis Living Along the Gaza Border

ISBN-13: 9783030959852 / Angielski / Miękka / 2023 / 316 str.

Julia Chaitin; Sharon Steinberg; Elad Avlagon

Opis

This book explores the meaning of life for Israelis from communities bordering the Gaza Strip, whose lives are bound to the intractable conflict between Israel and the Hamas regime. Based on a psychosocial qualitative study of narrative interviews, photographs, YouTube videos, and Facebook posts created by residents, the book presents the life stories of ordinary people, their perspectives of patriotism and Zionism, and their perceptions of the Gazan Palestinians. Routine Emergency captures these perspectives through analyses of residents’ interviews and photographs, the social media materials and poems fashioned from interviewees’ words. The results challenge simplistic notions of what it means to live in this warzone, offering a multi-layered analysis of life in this region, which alternates between being Heaven and Hell. Written in a reader-friendly format, Routine Emergency, offers new theoretical insights into societal beliefs connected to living in an intractable warzone on the personal, family, community and national levels.

Spis treści

Part 1: Introduction to the Study, History of the Region and Methodology.- Chapter 1. Otef Aza, the Israeli-Arab/PalestinianConflict and the War Relations with the Hamas Regime in the Gaza Strip.- Chapter 2. Methodology.- Part 2: Psycho-social Aspects of Living with the War and the Meaning of this Life for Otef Aza Residents.- Chapter 3.Psycho-social Aspects of Living with the War.- Chapter 4. Routine Emergency, Emergency Routine and War.- Chapter 5. I Am My Others’ Keeper: Mutual Concern, Belonging, Volunteerism and Creation in the Otef.- Chapter 6. The State of the Western Negev versus the State of Israel.- Chapter 7. Life in the Otef – It’s Complicated, Conflictual, Paradoxical.- Part 3: Patriotism, Zionism, and Interviewees’ Perceptions of Self and Gazan Other.- Chapter 8. Patriotism and Zionism: A Review of the Literature.- Chapter 9. Otef Aza Residents’ Understandings of Patriotism and Zionism.- Chapter 10. Otef Aza Residents Talk about the Gazans.- Part 4: Summary and Conclusions – Implications for Living with Intractable Conflicts and Thoughts about the Future.- Chapter 11. Summary, Discussion, and Conclusions.- Epilogue.

O autorze

Julia Chaitin has a PhD in social psychology from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and is an Emerita from the School of Social Work at the Sapir College. Julia completed three post-doctorates in the field of conflict resolution and peace building; one with The Peace Research Institute in the Middle East, one with the University of Missouri-St. Louis and one on the long-term, intergenerational effects of the Holocaust at the School of Social Work at Tel-Aviv University. For years, she has worked to bring together Palestinians and Israelis, as well as Jewish-Israelis, who hold opposing political orientations, for peace-building efforts.

Sharon Steinberg holds a PhD in Epidemiology and Applied Biostatistics from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. She is a Senior Lecturer at the Kaye College of Education, which has a diverse population of Jewish and Arab students from the Negev. Sharon teaches both quantitative and qualitative research courses, focusing on the topics of narratives, inclusive classrooms, as well as a research seminar on poverty-aware education.

Shoshana Steinberg, PhD, is a senior lecturer (Emerita) in psychology from the Kaye Academic College of Education in Beer-Sheva. Her topics of interest are the theoretical and practical aspects of inter-group relations, dialogue, conflict resolution, peace building and peace education. Shoshana teaches in the Conflict Management program at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and her courses focus on Narrative and Conflict and Peace Building.

Elad Avlagon has a BSW from Sapir College. As a social worker, he has experience working with old people and people living in poverty and social exclusion. Over the years, he has gained expertise in narrative interviewing and analysis. Elad interviewed most of the participants for the research in this book.

Blurb

“…this book provides a richly textured canvas on the complex negotiations of people caught between security needs and justice values, including their love for and criticism of their country.”

—Björn Krondorfer, Regents' Professor, Director of the Martin-Springer Institute, Northern Arizona University.

“… this work… brings us up close … to the pain of division, trauma of war, loss of hopes, dreams and aspirations of a future for all our children and grandchildren… hear the human voices, picture the faces and take a step … deep into their lives, it could just change your life…” 

—Rev. Dr. Gary Mason, MBE, BA, Dip.Th, D.D. Phd.

This book explores the meaning of life for Israelis living near the Gaza Strip, a region bound to the intractable conflict between Israel and the Hamas. Based on a psychosocial study of narrative interviews, photographs, YouTube videos, and Facebook posts created by residents, the book presents and analyzes the voices of ordinary people, and their perspectives of patriotism, Zionism, and the Gazan Palestinians. The results offer multi-layered and diverse analyses of life in this area, which alternates between being Heaven and Hell. Routine Emergency offers theoretical insights into societal beliefs connected to living in a warzone on the personal, family, community and national levels.   

Julia Chaitin, PhD in social psychology, is an Emerita from the School of Social Work at the Sapir College. She has researched the Holocaust and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for 30 years, and is a dedicated peace activist. 

Sharon Steinberg, PhD in Epidemiology, is a Senior Lecturer at the Kaye College of Education. Her work focuses on diverse research methods on the topics of narratives, inclusive classrooms, and poverty-aware education.

Elad Avlagon has a BSW from Sapir College. He has worked with old people and people living in poverty and has gained expertise in narrative interviewing and analysis.

Shoshana Steinberg, PhD in social psychology, an Emerita from the Kaye College of Education, teaches in the Conflict Management program at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. She focuses on narratives and conflict and inter-group peacebuilding.