Alone together: experiences of Palestinian East Jerusalem students studying at an Israeli university

In this study, we aimed to better understand the experiences of ethnic minorities within institutions of higher education, especially in areas of conflict. We focused on the case of Palestinian students from East Jerusalem who study in one of Israel’s major universities. We conducted a qualitative s...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inHigher education Vol. 88; no. 1; pp. 19 - 36
Main Authors Nuseibeh, Rawan Asali, Cohen, Aviv, Bekerman, Zvi
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.07.2024
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects
College students
Cultural groups
Education
Ethnic groups
Ethnic identity
Higher Education
Involuntary
Minority groups
Minority students
Palestinian people
Qualitative research
East Jerusalem
Ethnic identities
Higher education
Minorities
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:In this study, we aimed to better understand the experiences of ethnic minorities within institutions of higher education, especially in areas of conflict. We focused on the case of Palestinian students from East Jerusalem who study in one of Israel’s major universities. We conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with nineteen students. The study found that Palestinian Jerusalemite’s students face various linguistic, cultural, and academic barriers as an involuntary ethnic minority in a settler colonial context. We also highlight how the programs offered to integrate them cater to individual needs rather than addressing students’ group identities. Furthermore, those who survived their initial cultural and linguistic barriers and opted to stay at the institution tend to develop an academic identity that compensates for the lack of space for their group affiliation.
ISSN:0018-1560
1573-174X
DOI:10.1007/s10734-023-01100-1