essay
Shifting patterns of ethnic identification among the Hasidim
new ethnicity : perspectives from ethnology • St. Paul, Minn. • Published In 1975 • Pages: 25-50
By: Levy, Sydelle Brooks.
Abstract
This paper discusses the shifting pattern of ethnic identification among members of the Lubavitch Hasidim of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, N.Y. The author attempts to demonstrate how an individual's strong ethnic ties to Lubavitch are not necessarily manifested in cultural forms along, but often are expressed in manipulation of symbols and approved social behavior that provides opportunities for a moving or floating identity (p. 26). Levy divides the Lubavitcher Hasidim into four distinct subgroups or categories and describes the various ways in which these subgroups interact within the society, as for example in regard to dress codes, ritual practices, marriage patterns, education, and places of residence. Levy concludes that 'more significant than the clothing one wears, the way the ritual is practiced or where one lives, is the successful manipulation of kinship, marriage, educational institutions, and other types of social relations to promote individual goals while simultaneously preserving the image of Lubavitch to the larger society' (p. 47).
- HRAF PubDate
- 1996
- Region
- North America
- Sub Region
- Regional, Ethnic and Diaspora Cultures
- Document Type
- essay
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- John Beierle ; 1995
- Field Date
- no date
- Coverage Date
- not specified
- Coverage Place
- Lubavitch; Crown Heights, Brooklyn, N.Y., United States
- Notes
- Sydelle Brooks Levy
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 48-50)
- LCSH
- Jews