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Competing Values and Traditions in an Orthodox Jewish Day School: A

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Competing Values and Traditions in an Orthodox Jewish Day School: A DOCDMBYT RESUME BD 116 990 SO 008 822 AUTHOR Bullivant Brian Milton -TITLE Competing Values and Traditions in a n Orthodox Aewish Day School: A Study of Enculturation Dissonances PUB DATE Feb 75 NOTE L- 596p.; Ph.D. Thesis, dnashUniversity.(Clayton, Vicetocia, Australia) EDRS PRICE MF-$1.08 HC-$29.83 Plus Postage DESCRIPTORS Cultural gactors; *Culture 'Conflict; *Doctor al Theses; Iducational Researal-Educational Sociology;A Jews;Ieligious.CultUral Grdlips;'.*Religious'Factors; *Role Conflict; gecondary Education;" Self Conceptr Student Alieisation; Student Attitudes;_ *Student School Relationship; Values IDENTIFIERS *Australia ABSTRACT This study examines how the. values and value, orientations tderived fro two differing, historical itions influence the formal education of adolescent boys t nding an Orthodox Jewish day school in Melbourne, AustraliaThe two , traditions,iftlude the Chassidic variant. of the gre t tradition of Orthodox Judaism and the Australian-adaptation of the English, secular academic tradition. 'A fundamental dualism dominates the school in the form of two almost separate enculturation matrices ,bettreen which the students move daily. The contrasts betweeh the value orientations (b produce an identifiable dissonance in the ,boyscognitions about, their li -fe worlds. This affects their interpersonal behavior in teac4ing-learning interaction settings making themtiOrone to hype40.ctivity, anxiety, tension, conflict, and even aggression. Sociological explanations suggest that the differing social constructions of learning in the two traditions interact to frustrate the"boyse needs to learn. Countervailing influences an \d enculturation interference from the school's structural- organizational and epistemological dualism make the stuients reality constructions problematical whith in turn hamper their ability to learn. (Author /DE) ./ ********************************************************************** Documents acquired by ERIC include informal unpublished * materials not available from other sour es. ERIC makes everyeffort * * to obtain the best copy available. Nevertheless,items of marginal * * reproducibility are often encountered and this affects thequality * * of the microfiche and hardcopy reproductions.ER/Ctmakesavailable * niot ;1' via the. ERIC Document "Reproduction Service (EDRS). EDRS is * responsible for the quality.of the original documentl'Reproductions* * supplied by EDRS ate the best that can be made fromthe-original. **************************.**p***************************************** O U S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION & WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS SEEN REPRO. DUCIED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN.. ATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED CO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE SENT OFFICIAL akTIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY PERMISSION ATO REPRODUCE THIS COPY RIGHTED MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY MONASH UNIVERSITY TO ERIC AND ORGANIZATIONS OPERATING UNDER AGREEMENTS WITH THE NATIONAL IN STITUTE OF EDUCATIONFURTHER REPRO- DUCTION OUTSIDE THE ERIC SYSTEM RE QUIRES PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT OWNER COMPETING VALUES AND TRADITIONS IN AN ORTHODOX JEWISH DAY SCHOOL: A STUDY OF ENCULTURATION DISSdNANCE -4 BRIAN MILTON BULLIVANT I.E.T.C. (Land.), A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF ARTS IN 7"- ti FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, 4 FEBRUARY 1975 Copyiight rc B.M. Bullivant Not to be reproduced in any form without, the written permission of the author . a. a TABLE OF CONTENTS Summary of thesis xix Signed statement xxi Acknowledgements CHAPTER PAGE 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1. The historical, context of the study 1 2. Ethnographic studies ofschoolsin Australia 5 (a) The background 5 (b) The subject of research . 6 3. Research design 8 (a) Original aims and iRstruments 8 (b) Modifications due to,constraints in the field 10 4. Theoretical modifications and conceptual outcomes 11 5. The methodological and theoretical validity of 14 the study 6. A note on/bilhography 17 PART ONE ENCULTURATION, SCHOOLING AND THE TWOTRADITIOgi\ 2 SCHOOL AS THE LOCUS OF FORMAL ENCULTURATION 21 Ic An eclectic model of the education process 21 (a) The process of enculturation 22 (b) The saliency of.tradition and values in 24 enculturation (c)t The contextual and situational nature of 28 enculturationi (d) The problematical nature of enculturation 32 .11 3 4 CHAPTER PAGE 2 2. School as a'formal enculturation mapriX 34 3. ,The saliency of value.prientati ns in the 36 transmission of tjadition (a) The'relationship between value 36 .-orientations. and tradition (b) The systematization of value orientations 37 (c) The place of values / traditions in a school 38 4. Summary 40 THE HISTORICAL ORIGINS OF TWO TRADITIONS 41 1. 'The two traditions inherited by the school 41 2. The origins of the Lubavitcher Movement 42 (a) The beginnings of Chassidism 42 (b) Elements.of Chassidic ideology 44 (c) The leaders and literati of Chassidism 46 3. The genealogy of leaders of the Lubavitcher 48 Movement 4. Origins and foundation of the school 50 5. The Academic Tradition (a) Roots of the tradition - the early schools 51' (b) Roots of the tradition - university control 53 over the curriculum . (c) Lubavitcher School's heritage 54 56 a (d) Prudential elements in the Academic Tradition (e) The effect of scholarship examinations 56 6. The literati'of the Academic Tradition 57 7. Summary 59 4 4r iii 4 CHAPTER' PAGE 4 VALUE ORIENTATIONS AND VALUES IN THE TWOTRADITIONS 61 1. Sources of data forcontent ana 'lysis 61 (a) The Great Tradition 61 62 (b) The Academic Tradition 2.- Man-Universe orientation 63 (a) The Great Tradition 63 (b) The Acadelpic Tradition 69 3. Man-Oature orientation 71 (a) The Great Tradition 71 '(b)' The Academic Tradition 74 .a 76 4. Man-community orientation Afj (a) The Great Trdition 76' (b) The Academic Tradition 81 5. Man-activity orientation 83 (a) The Great Tradition 83 (b) The 'Academic Tradition 92 6. Man-time orientation 95 (a) The Great Tradition 95 (b) The Acadethic Tradition 103. 7.. Man-habitat orientation 105 (a) The Great Tradition 105 (b) The Academic "Tradition 106 107 II. Summary A r CHAPTER PAGE PART TWO THE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF TRADITION 5 SCHOOL CAMPUS, FACILITIES, AND STAFF 1. The arrangement of religious and teaching 111 n" facilities T 'sacred and traditional geography' 116 of the synagogue 3. The staff 119 (a) Composition of the secular teaching staff 119 (b) The hierarchy of responsibility in the 121 secular staff (c) The religipus teaching'staff 124 (d) Proprieties in-covering the head for males 125. (e) Lay ,eaching staff 126- (0/Dysfunctional and hierarchical aspects of 127 religious staff 4. Other-school personnel 128 (a) The, bursar 128 (b) School secretary 129 (c) Para- administrative staff 130 (d) RelilAious importance of para-administrative 131 duties (e) The caretaker 132 5/ Summary 134 6 THE ORGANIZATION OF 'TIME IN THE SCHOOL 135 1. Morning P,rayer and religious study 135 2. Secular studies --..the -morning period, 137: 3. Lunchtime rituals"- the Minchah Prayer and recreation 139 6 CHAPTER PAGE 6 4. The secular afternoon 142 5. Summary 144 7 THE ORGANIZATION OF THE YEARLY CALENDRICAL CYCLE 145 1. TheAwo calendars followed by the school 145 2. The dialectical interplay between the two Calendars 146 (a) Religious ceremonies during the month of 146 fishrei (b) '61ishes with secular activities during 148 TisTeNi (c) The quiescent period following Chanukah 149 3. Resumption of the dialectical interplay at Purim 149' (a) Rejoicing and catharthis at Purim 149 (b) Ritual preparations for Pesach 150 (c) Activities during Pesach and the following 153 weeks 4. The events of the second Term - a quiescent period 155 5. Variations in the ealendrical cycle in the following 156 year 6. Sumthary 157 8 THE CEREMONIAL ORGANIZATION OF TRADITION 158 1. Types of ceremonies 159 2. Expressive-religioug ceremonies 161 (a) The prolgramme 161 (b) . Content of ceremonies 162 (c) Form of ceremonies O vi CHAPTER ,PAGE 8 ,3. Ingtrumental-religioug ceremonies 171 (a) The,programme 171 171 (b) Content of ceremonies , (c) Form of ceremonies 172 4. Expressive-secular ceremonies 184, (a) The programme 184 4 (b) Content of Ceremonies 184 (c) Form of ceremonies 185 5. Instrumental-secular ceremonies 191 (a) The programme ' 191' (b) Content of ceremonies 191 (c) Form of ceremonies 192 6. Summary 194 THE FORMAL ORGANIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE 196 1. Types of knowledge 196 2. Academic knowledge, 198 (a) Subjects in the Lower and Middle School 198 (b) The Senior School curricula 199. 3. The role of examinations in the curriculum 199 (a) Internal examinations and tests 199 (b) External examinations 200 4. Super-empirical knowledge 204 (a) The basis of_ the curriculum content 204 (b) Organization of religious instruction 205 (c) Some comments on methods of instruction 208 8 vii 41116, CHAPTER PAGB 9 5. .Behavioural knowledge 209 (a) Behavioural novas and Values of the Great 209 Tradition ' (b) Cultic-ceremonial knowledge c 213 (c) Behavioural norms and values of the Academic. 216 Tradition PART THREE CONSTRUCTIONS OF SOCIAL INTERACTION-AND REALITY 10 PUPILS - NEIGHBOURHOOD AND FAMILY CONTEXTS 222 1.- The Secondary School and research sample 222, 2.- Location of boys' homes 224 3. The school neighbourhood as.a culture island 229, (a) Evidence froi content analysis of Abe 229 Jewish press. (b) Impressionistic evidence for the culture island` 231 . (c) Cultural activities in the culture island 232 4. Boys' family backgrounds 233 (a) Fathers'
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