Conservative peripheral societies and the acquisition of higher education: multidimensional marginality

This study examined the acquisition of higher education among women in a peripheral conservative society. It was grounded in three theoretical approaches: intersectionality theory, intergenerational mobility theory, and the concept of enclave culture. The study was based on 20 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with Mizrahi Ultra-Orthodox Jewish women residing in towns in southern Israel. Analysis of the interviews indicated that the religious-social existence of the interviewees was aligned with the social norms of conservative Ultra-Orthodox society. This included shouldering the burden of providing for their families; a lack of upward mobility, with parents and close family members having not pursued academic studies and the interviewees replicating their paths; societal tracking that prioritizes vocational training over academic pursuits; a clear preference for remaining within the enclave, particularly during the period during which one is being set up with potential spouses; continued residence in the social-geographic periphery of Israel; and integration into non-rewarding employment.