The Jewish Woman at Home

Abstract

They seem to confirm stereotypes. But are the stereotypes right? Listening to what women say suggests differently (Baker, 1990). In a study amongst a group of Jewish women along a religious/non-religious continuum, surprisingly little evidence was found for the assumption that the more religious woman is more home-bound than her non-religious counterpart. But what did emerge was the extent to which women along this continuum found a way of harmonising the perceived expectations which others had of them with their own hopes and expectations for themselves. ‘Their needs are my needs’ was expressed by religious and non-religious alike; at the same time, alongside this traditional attitude there was also ample evidence of both religious and non-religious women working and developing careers outside the home.