On the Sociological Significance of the American Jewish Experience: Boundary Blurring, Assimilation, and Pluralism


 

Publication Date: January 2006

Publisher: Association for the Sociology of Religion

Author(s): Richard Alba

Research Area: Culture and religion

Keywords: American Jews; Identity formation; Jewish identification

Type: Report

Coverage: United States

Abstract:

The most significant feature of the contemporary situation of American Jews is the very significant blurring of boundaries between Jews and other Americans. A non-trivial set of individuals is position ambiguously with respect to Jewish/Gentile boundaries, so that their placement in one or the other category is inherently a matter of definition. The article analyzes how did this state come about and what does it mean.