Dan Bar-On s psychosocial approach sees identity as dynamic, constructed in contra-distinction to various Others. Drawing parallels to other societies, he looks most closely at identity formation among Israelis, or more precisely, among the largely secular Jews from European lands who formed the hegemonic backbone of Israeli society. The Others in question, Diaspora Jews, Jews from Muslim countries, and Arabs, represent repressed aspects of the collective self. Case studies and analysis depict various stages in identity formation, as do personal windows onto the author as he experienced these...

Dan Bar-On s psychosocial approach sees identity as dynamic, constructed in contra-distinction to various Others. Drawing parallels to other societies, he looks most closely at identity formation among Israelis, or more precisely, among the largely secular Jews from European lands who formed the hegemonic backbone of Israeli society. The Others in question, Diaspora Jews, Jews from Muslim countries, and Arabs, represent repressed aspects of the collective self. Case studies and analysis depict various stages in identity formation, as do personal windows onto the author as he experienced these...

By providing a unique way of looking at life experiences, embedded in a variety of social contexts, this book suggests a new psychosocial theoretical framework which can be used by both laymen and professionals when confronted by troublesome issues that require acknowledgement.