Legitimizing academic knowledge in religious bounded communities: Jewish ultra-orthodox students in Israeli higher education

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a significant growth in the educational engagement of religious, fundamentalist, and bounded communities with modern society. This study examines the conflictual interaction in the context of the recent rise of Haredi (Jewish ultra-Orthodox) participation in Israeli higher education, asking: How do students from bounded religious communities legitimize their participation in academic learning? Through 27 semi-structured interviews with Haredi students, we uncovered four modes of legitimation: (1) existential—viewing academic learning as a means for improved welfare; (2) community-based—expressing communal tolerance toward academia; (3) tailored—referencing adaptation of the pedagogic environment to student needs and demands; and (4) epistemic—reconciling scientific and religious knowledge. Paradoxically, we found that the growth within academia of educational enclaves with firm boundaries actually fosters greater affinity toward scientific knowledge among learners.