Bedouin teachers in non-bedouin Arab schools: alienation and attempts to adjust and fit in

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine relationships between Bedouin Arab teachers and non-Bedouin Arab teachers from rural villages who work together in schools in northern Israel. These relationships were examined from the perspective of the Bedouin teachers. This qualitative research was conducted through in-depth interviews, as a means for identifying challenges faced by Bedouin teachers when attempting to become an integral part of the school staff. The interviews were conducted with 31 Bedouin teachers (28 women and three men) from Arab schools where the Bedouins are a minority, and who speak a distinct Arabic dialect that distinguishes them from the majority. The findings indicate that the Bedouin teachers are often offended and embittered by the condescending attitudes of the other Arab teachers towards them, as the Bedouins are clearly expected to conduct themselves and their work in line with the rules and codes of the majority. While the Bedouins, as with any typical minority group, resent this attitude, they make great efforts to adapt themselves to fit into the rural hegemonial space. In their strive to be accepted and become an integral part of the school, the Bedouin teachers often make a conscious effort to replace their unique dialect with that of the rural (Fellah) Arabic that is spoken in the school’s village – in an effort to be accepted by the staff, students, and parents.