european journal of social sciences issn: 1450-2267 - EuroJournals

European Journal of Social Sciences – Volume 5, Number 3 (2007)
encountered. The different, and sometimes opposing, values and norms of the two societies have
constructed a concealed ‘inner’ identity, and an ‘overt’ ‘exhibited’ identity.
The external-‘overt’ identity which was expressed among family and in the Druze community,
was composed of cultural norms and values which the women were raised upon and which were
accepted in the village society. The ‘external’ or ‘exhibited’ identity existed in the narratives mainly as
a preemptive means to protect against the social sanctions held by the community. It was frequently
described as a ‘cover’, a wrap, a mask or a veil, designed to camouflage the changes the women had
undergone in the course of their studies, a period which was meant to be insignificant, and was
therefore silenced, appearing transparent. Iman describes the inner self in contrast to the performance
and behavior that must coincide with the Druze society’s demands:
The Druze girl is very polite, always has to be sweet, even though inside me, that’s not it,
… but it’s a kind of mold I’ve gotten into, and in which I have to live… I always liken it
to a social mold, that is imposed on us, in which we, the girls are forced to grow up by
(…) and I say this, and always stress - that it is not by choice; if I had the possibility of
leading a different life - I’d live very differently. (Iman)
The ‘overt’ identity is revealed during social encounters and adheres to accepted gender norms.
While the ‘overt’ identity is utilized or revealed in public, the concealed ‘covert’ identity cannot be
publicly expressed in the Druze community. It encompasses characteristics that were formed during the
period of study, a different, Western, individualistic worldview, a desire for independence and selfexpression,
all of which are unattainable in a culture where women are expected to conceal personal
desires and aspirations. This difficulties and prohibitions to express their views and to attain personal
goals results in a ‘secret,’ ‘concealed’ or covert identity that cannot be publicly expressed.
The covert identity is covered by traditional clothing and scarves, hidden but very much alive:
They can limit how I dress, says Arige. They can limit what I say, but they can’t limit my
thoughts. My thoughts, I don’t know, if they can really fly, but they reach places without
bounds. I can think however I want; after all I don’t think aloud, so I don’t threaten my
surroundings. But the difficulty of always living in a world of thoughts is enormous, and
the fact is that you can never put them into practice. (Arige)
The sense of disconnection and dissociation between the ‘overt’ identity, the bodily practices
bound by traditional obligations, and the ‘inner’ identity, “the soul”, is expressed by Arige and is
experienced with great pain. The bodily practices and spoken words can be traced and condemned by
the family and the community; therefore, while adhering to the accepted gender norms, the soul can
roam without any limitations, but also without any ability for self expression, accompanied by
substantial pain.
The secular world, the individualistic values that have influenced the educated Druze women,
and the Druze values they were raised upon, are expressed in their lives by a discrepancy and a gap.
This gap exists between the way of life in practice and the inner goals, thoughts and feelings. Jasmine
expresses this gap between her ‘covert’ identity, composed of thoughts and feelings developed during
her encounter with secular individualistic norms at university, and her ‘overt’ identity of her performed
lifestyle:
I came upon secular values and a way of life that I believe in, but this creates a
conflict…During the period that I studied in Jerusalem, I went through a process of
growth and change, you can call it renewal. And now (upon return) I have to, like, ignore
and disregard all this development, and show commitment to traditional practices. This
gap, between what you think and feel is right and what you can actually do, between the
way you have to behave here (the village), and what you believe in, creates a real
problem! (Jasmine)
Jasmine, like other interviewees, conceals the changes that have taken place during the period
of higher education. The gap between actions and feelings, displays the split between the expressed
way of life and the inner thoughts and feelings. A sense of disconnection and dissociation between the
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