any sociologists here?????

[historian]

Not socialists - thats a baaaaaaaaaaaaad word.
Well that was a terrible play on words so anyway - how could i describe, in sociological terms, the rise and growth of israel? It isnt typical by any means since it ceased to exist and then returned. Trade etc... really played no part in its original demise - they were shipped off to babylon. Then after the holocaust the immigration on mass to Israel.
The arabs too did not necessarily grow or develop or decline for natural reasons - the europeans simply carved out countries as they felt fit and to their advantage after ww1. Does this defy the usual sociological claims for development? Trade etc... never really played a role. the sole reasons for changes in modern Israel or ancient Judea were warfare. Ecosystems (communes) did but i cant really think of any other.
Can anyone help with this? thanks

[ixion]

1. Israel exists because it's propped up by Britain and the US

and you're spot on about what the Brits did in their days of empire. Belize put a hammer lock on Guatemala, Kuwait did the same thing to Iraq. I believe their logic there was that they controlled the seaports, by and large, and hence controlled the inland by proxy.

And that segues into what you mentioned. Sociologically speaking, places like that are highly pluralistic. Again, Belize is a good example. Their culture there is a mixed bag from a variety of nations, with only flavors of the native culture remaining.

However, Israel is a bit different, because it's steeped in an ideology. It's basis for existence isn't human well being, but regional control. That makes the flavor distinctly...authoritarian. Like Belize, their population is pluralistic, but a small group of extremists seem to have a lock on the power.

It's ironic, in a way, because there's so much history and culture there, but it gets drowned out by the sound war more often than not. :(

It's a shame, really. But I digress.

This is a quick and dirty shot an answer, and certainly not complete, but I think it touches on some of the broader issues.

[historian]

2. thanks

That was a great help i hadnt thought of regional control i was thinking more in terms of survival. But your answer is a great help thanks again

[ixion]

9. sure thing

glad there was something in there you could find useful. :hi:

[PCIntern]

3. your last sentence said it all.

quick and dirty...Yes, it's just a little more complex too....

Just restating your verbiage...

[aikoaiko]

4. I wonder if there is an antonym to diaspora?

:shrug:

I should look.

eta: Nope, I could not find an antonym to diaspora.

[historian]

5. thanks

good idea though. Diasporally challenged?

[rug]

6. It reminds me of the Kingdom of Jerusalem established by Europeans after the Crusades.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Jerusalem

[mix]

7. for modern Israel

You have to start with European anti-Semitism and the Dreyfus Affair in France in the late 1800s. Though there were earlier Jewish settlements in Palestine, modern Zionism starts with the argument that Jews can no longer co-exist with Christians in Europe, a view that solidifies in the early 1900s.

So sociologically speaking, scientific and political racism, along with ethnic nationalism, are major factors in modern Israel's founding.

Other historical factors of course would be WWI and the collapse of the Ottoman empire, the subsequent period of European protectorates, and the Holocaust.

[historian]

8. thanks

I have taken those account but im having difficulty in separating history from sociology. The prof wants numbers of populations, the increase or decrease etc but unless history is included nothing will make sense. Besides how could i describe the period between the sacking and expulsion of jews from jerusalem several thousand years ago till 1948. How can i describe that in sociological terms? Thanks appreciate your help.

[JanMichael]

10. are you looking for proof of the Old Testament

stories?

[mix]

12. tell the whole story, but focus on what made modern Israel:

the early kingdoms, the Roman occupation, the diaspora, the rise of Zionism, and the founding of Israel...

If I understand what you're trying to do, focus mainly on the diaspora populations and Israel's founding. The earlier history is relevant mostly as a story about when Jews controlled their own destinies and polity...it is the historical/ideological framework which makes thinking about a Jewish homeland possible throughout the centuries.

Focus on the effects of the diaspora. Tell how Jews were forcibly settled in parts of Europe for hundreds of years, how many there were and then compare this situation to the few Jews remaining in Palestine during this time. Dealing with population numbers, for example, in Europe will give you a sense of the Jews' minority status amid hostile populations there and why they were victims of racism. This would show how the creation of Israel resulted for the most part from factors outside of the Middle East.

I would then show how the historical events discussed above radically shifted Europe's Jewish population, along with North Africa's and other places, to Palestine/Israel in the 20th century. There is a reason there are so few Jews left in places like Fez or Kabul; they moved to Israel after its founding.

What caused people to return? Persecution, religious beliefs, the hope of a better life...

You have tons of sociological themes here: racism, migration, population, nationalism, nation-state building, identity-formation etc.

Good luck!

[historian]

13. wonderful!

thanks so much

[H2O Man]

11. I would consider

putting it largely in the context of the relationship between empires and tribal peoples on the fringe of the empires' expansions.