liora sion | University of Copenhagen (original) (raw)
Papers by liora sion
Sociology, 2024
Thank you for choosing to publish with us. This is your final opportunity to ensure your article ... more Thank you for choosing to publish with us. This is your final opportunity to ensure your article will be accurate at publication. Please review your proof carefully and respond to the queries using the circled tools in the image below, which are available in Adobe Reader DC* by clicking Tools from the top menu, then clicking Comment. Please use only the tools circled in the image, as edits via other tools/methods can be lost during file conversion. For comments, questions, or formatting requests, please use. Please do not use comment bubbles/sticky notes .
ethnic and racial studies, 2023
This paper examines how the state apparatus classifies who are the citizens to be symbolically in... more This paper examines how the state apparatus classifies who are the citizens to be symbolically included in the collective, and who are to be excluded by analyzing interfaith marriages in the Israeli context, where ethno-national identity is society's main category organizer. I argue that the women's social-economic standing (working-class versus middleclass) and ethnic origin (Mizrahi Jews of Middle Eastern and North African ancestry versus Ashkenazi Jews of European ancestry) play an important role not only in their strategies but in the nationalist rhetoric against them. The paper also shows how interfaith marriages, although rather rare in Israel, determine that ethno-national boundaries are more permeable than they are first appear, although crossing and shifting them is never simple. Yet the importance of this phenomenon is not in its prevalence, but in its social and political impact.
OP-ED The New York Times Room for Debate
Althoughthesolidarityofbrothersinarmsisanimportantfeatureofthemilitary, when it comes to ethnic m... more Althoughthesolidarityofbrothersinarmsisanimportantfeatureofthemilitary, when it comes to ethnic minorities there is a pivotal paradox. On the one hand the military aims at drawing boundaries between soldiers and civilians by blurring existing ethnic and racial divisions inside the military. On the other hand the military is a highly national institution which prides itself on conservative values. Can these contradictions work? And how soldiers understand them? This paper examines the construction of ethnic boundaries in inter-group relations by focusing on the tension between ethnic hierarchy and competition versus homophily – the preference for maintaining ties with persons who are similar. Through participant observation and in-depth interviews with Dutch soldiers before and during deployment in Bosnia and Kosovo I ask when each strategy is put into work and why.
Based on anthropological fieldwork, this article studies the experience of two Dutch peacekeeping... more Based on anthropological fieldwork, this article studies the experience of two Dutch peacekeeping units: the "Grizzly" artillery battery that was deployed to Kosovo in 1999 (KFOR2) and the "Bulldog" infantry company that was deployed to Bosnia in 2000 (SFOR8). By examining the units' experience from training through deployment, this article argues that the Dutch army is a threatened organization that suffers from a relatively low status in society. The army gains support mainly by performing peace missions, which soldiers perceive as "feminine" and therefore inappropriate. This article examines how Dutch soldiers train for peacekeeping missions and demonstrates that this training takes the shape of infantry combat exercises, a characteristic that negatively influences the soldiers' level of satisfaction during deployments.
By using participant observation, this article analyzes the participation of women in peacekeepin... more By using participant observation, this article analyzes the participation of women in peacekeeping missions through the experience of Dutch female peacekeepers in Bosnia and Kosovo in 1999-2000. My argument is threefold. First, I argue that although peacekeeping is a relatively new military model it reproduces in the same traditional combat-oriented mindset of gender roles. Therefore, women are limited in their ability to contribute to peace missions. Second, because peacekeeping missions are perceived by peacekeepers as rather feminine, they are seen as a challenge to male combat and masculine identity. As a result, soldiers reject the participation of women and perceive them as endangering even further the missions' prestige. Third, despite the shared difficulties, women do not support each other and tend to view the other women in a stereotypical way. This contributes to their isolation and self-disapproval.
This article addresses the issue of women participation in peacekeeping missions by focusing on t... more This article addresses the issue of women participation in peacekeeping missions by focusing on two North Atlantic Treaty Organization Dutch peacekeeping units in Bosnia (SFOR8) and Kosovo (KFOR2). I argue that soldiers are ambivalent toward what is perceived the "feminine" aspects of peace missions. Although peacekeeping is a new military model, it reproduces the same traditional combat-oriented mind-set of gender roles. Therefore Dutch female soldiers are limited in their ability to perform and contribute to peace missions. Both peacekeeping missions and female soldiers are confusing for the soldiers, especially for the more hypermasculine Bulldog infantry soldiers. Both represent a blurred new reality in which the comfort of the all-male unit and black-and-white combat situations are replaced by women in what were traditionally men's roles and the fuzzy environment of peacekeeping. At the same time, both are also necessary: peacekeeping, although not desirable, has become the main function for Dutch soldiers, and women are still a small minority, although they gain importance in the army. Present government policy prescribes a gender mainstreaming approach to recruiting, partly due to a lack of qualified male personnel, especially after the end of the draft in 1996.
This article deals with how service in Israel's military reserves entails imagining and handling ... more This article deals with how service in Israel's military reserves entails imagining and handling conceptions of "proper" masculinity. Using data derived from fieldwork among a variety of units, our analysis focuses on how humor among middle-class Jewish men is used to examine four issues. The first is the relation between gender and age. While previous research on age has focused on the ways in which individuals experience the passage of time, very little has been written about how men belonging to different ages communicate between themselves about issues centered on masculinity. The preoccupation of men with how their bodies are growing older (gaining weight or physical and sexual power) is intensified in our case by the ongoing comparison between older and younger soldiers. The second issue centers on the periodic reaffirmation of masculinity along the life-course. An analysis of reserve service as it develops along an axis of time allows us to see how each period of service may represent a certain return to individuals' to their twenty year old selves. Yet the gap between the present and the past turns this reaffirmation into a problematic one. Third, we focus on attitudes towards women found in all-male situations. We show how women are not only sexual objects but how informal social pressure is placed on singles to marry and set up families. The fourth and final issue focuses on how men are not only motivated by homophobia but use images of women and homosexuals to map and interpret power relations and competition between themselves.
While most sociological and anthropological work carried out in regard to the Israel Defence Forc... more While most sociological and anthropological work carried out in regard to the Israel Defence Forces has focused on regulars, this article provides an inside look into Israel's combat reserves. The analysis is carried out through an examination of the place of humor and joking in the social and organizational life of two different infantry units: a high-grade unit deemed equivalent to the army's regulars and a unit of older troops who carry out less dangerous missions. We argue that reserve duty involves entering a special behavioural frame that is governed by rules different from those of everyday (civilian) life and that these are also special times that offer opportunities for exploring many of the problematic issues that the men face. Humor, in turn, provides fruitful entry points to an analysis of the taboo themes and the muted conflicts of such frameworks. Thus we show how various kinds of humor are related to core issue of socialization, cohesion, motivation, the danger of military work, and images of masculinity.
While most sociological and anthropological work carried out in regard to the Israel Defence Forc... more While most sociological and anthropological work carried out in regard to the Israel Defence Forces has focused on regulars, this article provides an inside look into Israel's combat reserves. The analysis is carried out through an examination of the place of humor and joking in the social and organizational life of two different infantry units: a high-grade unit deemed equivalent to the army's regulars and a unit of older troops who carry out less dangerous missions. We argue that reserve duty involves entering a special behavioural frame that is governed by rules different from those of everyday (civilian) life and that these are also special times that offer opportunities for exploring many of the problematic issues that the men face. Humor, in turn, provides fruitful entry points to an analysis of the taboo themes and the muted conflicts of such frameworks. Thus we show how various kinds of humor are related to core issue of socialization, cohesion, motivation, the danger of military work, and images of masculinity.
By using participant observation, this article analyzes the participation of women in peacekeepin... more By using participant observation, this article analyzes the participation of women in peacekeeping missions through the experience of Dutch female peacekeepers in Bosnia and Kosovo in 1999-2000. My argument is threefold. First, I argue that although peacekeeping is a relatively new military model it reproduces in the same traditional combat-oriented mindset of gender roles. Therefore, women are limited in their ability to contribute to peace missions. Second, because peacekeeping missions are perceived by peacekeepers as rather feminine, they are seen as a challenge to male combat and masculine identity. As a result, soldiers reject the participation of women and perceive them as endangering even further the missions' prestige. Third, despite the shared difficulties, women do not support each other and tend to view the other women in a stereotypical way. This contributes to their isolation and self-disapproval.
Sociology, 2024
Thank you for choosing to publish with us. This is your final opportunity to ensure your article ... more Thank you for choosing to publish with us. This is your final opportunity to ensure your article will be accurate at publication. Please review your proof carefully and respond to the queries using the circled tools in the image below, which are available in Adobe Reader DC* by clicking Tools from the top menu, then clicking Comment. Please use only the tools circled in the image, as edits via other tools/methods can be lost during file conversion. For comments, questions, or formatting requests, please use. Please do not use comment bubbles/sticky notes .
ethnic and racial studies, 2023
This paper examines how the state apparatus classifies who are the citizens to be symbolically in... more This paper examines how the state apparatus classifies who are the citizens to be symbolically included in the collective, and who are to be excluded by analyzing interfaith marriages in the Israeli context, where ethno-national identity is society's main category organizer. I argue that the women's social-economic standing (working-class versus middleclass) and ethnic origin (Mizrahi Jews of Middle Eastern and North African ancestry versus Ashkenazi Jews of European ancestry) play an important role not only in their strategies but in the nationalist rhetoric against them. The paper also shows how interfaith marriages, although rather rare in Israel, determine that ethno-national boundaries are more permeable than they are first appear, although crossing and shifting them is never simple. Yet the importance of this phenomenon is not in its prevalence, but in its social and political impact.
OP-ED The New York Times Room for Debate
Althoughthesolidarityofbrothersinarmsisanimportantfeatureofthemilitary, when it comes to ethnic m... more Althoughthesolidarityofbrothersinarmsisanimportantfeatureofthemilitary, when it comes to ethnic minorities there is a pivotal paradox. On the one hand the military aims at drawing boundaries between soldiers and civilians by blurring existing ethnic and racial divisions inside the military. On the other hand the military is a highly national institution which prides itself on conservative values. Can these contradictions work? And how soldiers understand them? This paper examines the construction of ethnic boundaries in inter-group relations by focusing on the tension between ethnic hierarchy and competition versus homophily – the preference for maintaining ties with persons who are similar. Through participant observation and in-depth interviews with Dutch soldiers before and during deployment in Bosnia and Kosovo I ask when each strategy is put into work and why.
Based on anthropological fieldwork, this article studies the experience of two Dutch peacekeeping... more Based on anthropological fieldwork, this article studies the experience of two Dutch peacekeeping units: the "Grizzly" artillery battery that was deployed to Kosovo in 1999 (KFOR2) and the "Bulldog" infantry company that was deployed to Bosnia in 2000 (SFOR8). By examining the units' experience from training through deployment, this article argues that the Dutch army is a threatened organization that suffers from a relatively low status in society. The army gains support mainly by performing peace missions, which soldiers perceive as "feminine" and therefore inappropriate. This article examines how Dutch soldiers train for peacekeeping missions and demonstrates that this training takes the shape of infantry combat exercises, a characteristic that negatively influences the soldiers' level of satisfaction during deployments.
By using participant observation, this article analyzes the participation of women in peacekeepin... more By using participant observation, this article analyzes the participation of women in peacekeeping missions through the experience of Dutch female peacekeepers in Bosnia and Kosovo in 1999-2000. My argument is threefold. First, I argue that although peacekeeping is a relatively new military model it reproduces in the same traditional combat-oriented mindset of gender roles. Therefore, women are limited in their ability to contribute to peace missions. Second, because peacekeeping missions are perceived by peacekeepers as rather feminine, they are seen as a challenge to male combat and masculine identity. As a result, soldiers reject the participation of women and perceive them as endangering even further the missions' prestige. Third, despite the shared difficulties, women do not support each other and tend to view the other women in a stereotypical way. This contributes to their isolation and self-disapproval.
This article addresses the issue of women participation in peacekeeping missions by focusing on t... more This article addresses the issue of women participation in peacekeeping missions by focusing on two North Atlantic Treaty Organization Dutch peacekeeping units in Bosnia (SFOR8) and Kosovo (KFOR2). I argue that soldiers are ambivalent toward what is perceived the "feminine" aspects of peace missions. Although peacekeeping is a new military model, it reproduces the same traditional combat-oriented mind-set of gender roles. Therefore Dutch female soldiers are limited in their ability to perform and contribute to peace missions. Both peacekeeping missions and female soldiers are confusing for the soldiers, especially for the more hypermasculine Bulldog infantry soldiers. Both represent a blurred new reality in which the comfort of the all-male unit and black-and-white combat situations are replaced by women in what were traditionally men's roles and the fuzzy environment of peacekeeping. At the same time, both are also necessary: peacekeeping, although not desirable, has become the main function for Dutch soldiers, and women are still a small minority, although they gain importance in the army. Present government policy prescribes a gender mainstreaming approach to recruiting, partly due to a lack of qualified male personnel, especially after the end of the draft in 1996.
This article deals with how service in Israel's military reserves entails imagining and handling ... more This article deals with how service in Israel's military reserves entails imagining and handling conceptions of "proper" masculinity. Using data derived from fieldwork among a variety of units, our analysis focuses on how humor among middle-class Jewish men is used to examine four issues. The first is the relation between gender and age. While previous research on age has focused on the ways in which individuals experience the passage of time, very little has been written about how men belonging to different ages communicate between themselves about issues centered on masculinity. The preoccupation of men with how their bodies are growing older (gaining weight or physical and sexual power) is intensified in our case by the ongoing comparison between older and younger soldiers. The second issue centers on the periodic reaffirmation of masculinity along the life-course. An analysis of reserve service as it develops along an axis of time allows us to see how each period of service may represent a certain return to individuals' to their twenty year old selves. Yet the gap between the present and the past turns this reaffirmation into a problematic one. Third, we focus on attitudes towards women found in all-male situations. We show how women are not only sexual objects but how informal social pressure is placed on singles to marry and set up families. The fourth and final issue focuses on how men are not only motivated by homophobia but use images of women and homosexuals to map and interpret power relations and competition between themselves.
While most sociological and anthropological work carried out in regard to the Israel Defence Forc... more While most sociological and anthropological work carried out in regard to the Israel Defence Forces has focused on regulars, this article provides an inside look into Israel's combat reserves. The analysis is carried out through an examination of the place of humor and joking in the social and organizational life of two different infantry units: a high-grade unit deemed equivalent to the army's regulars and a unit of older troops who carry out less dangerous missions. We argue that reserve duty involves entering a special behavioural frame that is governed by rules different from those of everyday (civilian) life and that these are also special times that offer opportunities for exploring many of the problematic issues that the men face. Humor, in turn, provides fruitful entry points to an analysis of the taboo themes and the muted conflicts of such frameworks. Thus we show how various kinds of humor are related to core issue of socialization, cohesion, motivation, the danger of military work, and images of masculinity.
While most sociological and anthropological work carried out in regard to the Israel Defence Forc... more While most sociological and anthropological work carried out in regard to the Israel Defence Forces has focused on regulars, this article provides an inside look into Israel's combat reserves. The analysis is carried out through an examination of the place of humor and joking in the social and organizational life of two different infantry units: a high-grade unit deemed equivalent to the army's regulars and a unit of older troops who carry out less dangerous missions. We argue that reserve duty involves entering a special behavioural frame that is governed by rules different from those of everyday (civilian) life and that these are also special times that offer opportunities for exploring many of the problematic issues that the men face. Humor, in turn, provides fruitful entry points to an analysis of the taboo themes and the muted conflicts of such frameworks. Thus we show how various kinds of humor are related to core issue of socialization, cohesion, motivation, the danger of military work, and images of masculinity.
By using participant observation, this article analyzes the participation of women in peacekeepin... more By using participant observation, this article analyzes the participation of women in peacekeeping missions through the experience of Dutch female peacekeepers in Bosnia and Kosovo in 1999-2000. My argument is threefold. First, I argue that although peacekeeping is a relatively new military model it reproduces in the same traditional combat-oriented mindset of gender roles. Therefore, women are limited in their ability to contribute to peace missions. Second, because peacekeeping missions are perceived by peacekeepers as rather feminine, they are seen as a challenge to male combat and masculine identity. As a result, soldiers reject the participation of women and perceive them as endangering even further the missions' prestige. Third, despite the shared difficulties, women do not support each other and tend to view the other women in a stereotypical way. This contributes to their isolation and self-disapproval.