european journal of social sciences issn: 1450-2267 - EuroJournals
european journal of social sciences issn: 1450-2267 - EuroJournals
european journal of social sciences issn: 1450-2267 - EuroJournals
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European Journal <strong>of</strong> Social Sciences – Volume 5, Number 3 (2007)<br />
Sampling Method<br />
Thirty-four Druze women were interviewed. They were the first or among the first from their villages<br />
to apply for higher education. In this study, a purposive, rather than a random sampling method was<br />
used (Miles and Huberman, 1994), interviewing the ‘first’ Druze women.<br />
Interviews<br />
The interviews were conducted in Hebrew, a language in which all interviewees were fluent, and were<br />
held at the interviewee’s homes. The interviews had two parts: In the first part, following Rosenthal’s<br />
technique (Rosenthal, 1992), participants were asked to talk about their lives in an unstructured<br />
manner, enabling internal and dynamic processes to emerge from their own subjective perspectives.<br />
The second part was a semi-structured interview comprising specific questions and themes that arose<br />
during the previous interview. At times, interviews extended more than seven hours, thanks to the<br />
cordial hospitality <strong>of</strong> the Druzes, and they <strong>of</strong>ten included invitations for traditional meals prepared<br />
beforehand and conversations with other members <strong>of</strong> the family.<br />
My alienness as a researcher was obvious, however; during the research I found that my<br />
positioning as an outsider or insider was not fixed (See Author, 2007). In some cases, I was an<br />
“outsider” not understanding the culture and religion, not aware <strong>of</strong> the various meanings <strong>of</strong> the customs<br />
and words. When other topics were discussed, however, I was treated as an “insider” since I was one <strong>of</strong><br />
the few people with whom the participants could talk about the experiences <strong>of</strong> their education and the<br />
different world to which they were exposed, a world to which I belonged. Being a stranger, and at the<br />
same time understanding their experiences in Israeli universities, enabled them to speak freely about<br />
their inner worlds, their inner conflicts and difficulties (see Simmel, 1921 in Simmel, 1950).<br />
Method <strong>of</strong> Analysis<br />
Phenomenological narrative methodology, based on life stories and their interpretation (Bruner, 1991;<br />
Bruner, 1991), enabled a closer understanding <strong>of</strong> the interviewees’ self-perceived, subjective point <strong>of</strong><br />
view (Bruner, 1991; Reinharz, 1997:5; Maynard and Purvis, 1994:12; Taylor, 1998). Giorgi’s<br />
phenomenological analysis (Giorgi, 1989) was selected for its adherence to the text. Many <strong>of</strong> the<br />
women’s own personal narratives are presented in the text, allowing marginalized women to make<br />
their private stories public (Pessate-Schubert, 2003) and their voices heard (Maynard & Purvis, 1994;<br />
Taylor, 1998).<br />
Findings and Discussion<br />
Identity Changes Following Higher Education<br />
While studying at university, the first students encountered methods <strong>of</strong> study that differed from the<br />
authoritarian approaches that were the norm in the Druze and Arab schools the women had attended<br />
(Al-Haj, 1988; Dwairy, 1998 Alean, 2006). This period <strong>of</strong> university study exposed the Druze students<br />
to individualistic theories and norms that altered their notions about the individual's place in society.<br />
Studying in a different, Western culture and encountering different views, values and norms enabled<br />
them to gain a new perspective through which they could review and reflect upon their own needs,<br />
values and way <strong>of</strong> life.<br />
During their years at university the interviewees experienced an attitude which encouraged<br />
independent thought, permitted the questioning <strong>of</strong> knowledge and authority, and legitimized inquiry<br />
(Author, 2006b, 2004). They were encouraged to express their views and give voice to their unique<br />
ideas. This period exposed the Druze students not only to academic knowledge, but also to different<br />
Western values (ibid, see Al-Haj 1988).<br />
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