Research On Religion » assimilation

Linda Weiser Friedman on Jewish Humor (Encore Presentation)

tonygill — Sun, 30 Jul 2017 08:00:18 +0000

Does God have a sense of humor? Do jesters go to heaven? Why are Jews so funny? Who better to answer these questions than a statistician?! On this episode, we warmly welcome Prof. Linda Weiser Friedman, a professor of statistics and computer information at the City University of New York, who co-authored God Laughed: Sources of Jewish Humor with her husband Hershey Friedman, a finance professor at CUNY. While one might not normally associate business or statistics professors with laughter, this dynamic duo discuss their decades-long labor of love in compiling a large mound of Jewish jokes and other humorous stories and then using them to explore what it means to be Jewish, religious, and (ultimately) human. (Bonus alliteration in today’s description comes free of charge.)

We start off with a bit of computer humor (?!) as a means of figuring out what humor really is and who it may appeal to at times. Tony reveals a little-known secret of his past during this interchange. Linda discusses the difficulty in getting publishers to take an academic book on humor seriously and this leads to all sorts of ruminations about the role of popular scholarship. We then plunge headlong into an examination of Jewish humor with a tale of a Jewish grandmother on a beach and her relationship with God. Indeed, prepare to be delighted throughout the conversation with some of Linda’s favorite pieces of comedy.

Prof. Friedman then lays out what Jewish humor is and why it is so unique. She observes that few, if any, minority communities have such a rich tradition of using humor to describe and relate the history of their people, particularly when it comes to the often tragic history of persecution that has beset Jews. Linda points out, much to Tony’s surprise, that there is even a tradition of “Holocaust humor” that might appear shocking to a non-Jews ears. But as we come back later to in the discussion, none other than Mel Brooks in answering the critics of his film The Producers, laughter is how Jews can get back at Hitler.

Our attention then turns to sources of Jewish humor. It may come as a surprise to some, but Jews were making jokes and being playful with words long before Jerry Seinfeld or Sid Caesar. In fact, it dates back to the foundational documents of the Jewish faith. To help our host Tony make sense of this all, Linda provides a quick summary of the terms Talmud, Torah, and Midrash, among others. We then plunge headlong into some examples of humor that appear in the Talmud and Midrash, including interpretations of stories involving Abraham, Balaam, Jonah, Joseph, and even Job. Linda points out that one of the key themes of Jewish humor found in these sources is humans arguing with God and God’s rhetorical and ironic questions posed to humans. For example, God calls out to Adam in Genesis asking where Adam is, as if Adam would not know that God knew where he was all along. These little observations made by Prof. Friedman really help to bring subtle new interpretations to Biblical passages that one might not have ever thought about.

We cover a number of other themes of Jewish humor including mocking of idolatry, hubris, the role of rabbis and education, and several other topics. Tony’s complete lack of humor is on full display when Linda explains why the story of Rachel stealing Laban’s idols (Gen 31) is funny. We continue with other ancient tales and more modern forms of humor. The interview then concludes with some general reflections on how humor tends to be culturally specific, how it can cross ethnic and religious boundaries, and whether or not Jews joking about Jews can reinforce stereotypes of the community. We venture some thoughts on political incorrectness and Linda discusses how Mel Brooks could make light of Hitler and the Nazi regime in his movie The Producers. Linda finishes with her thoughts on what she learned from her study of comedy. Recorded: June 24, 2014.

(Please note there is audio interference that was difficult to edit out at the 31-32 minute mark of the interview.)

RELATED LINKS

Linda Weiser Friedman’s bio at City University of New York.

Hershey Friedman’s bio (co-author) at City University of New York.

God Laughed: Sources of Jewish Humor, by Hershey Friedman and Linda Weiser Friedman.

Laughter in Hell: The Use of Humor during the Holocaust, by Steve Lipman (mentioned in podcast).

RELATED PODCASTS

Carmel Chiswick on the Economics of American Judaism.

Christopher Grenda on Religious Satire During the Enlightenment.

Ken Wald on the Puzzling Politics of American Jews.

Mark Koyama on the Economics of Jewish Expulsions.

Claire Adida on Discrimination Towards Muslims in France

tonygill — Sun, 03 Jan 2016 09:00:18 +0000

France has one of the largest Muslim populations in Europe and issues of how this population has integrated into French national life has been a major topic in political debate. Prof. Claire Adida, an assistant professor of political science at the University of California – San Diego, discusses a large research project she conducted with David Laitin (Stanford) and Marie-Anne Valfort (Paris School of Economics). This project, published recently in the book Why Muslim Integration Fails in Christian-Heritage Societies (see below), examines the extent of labor force discrimination towards Muslims on religious (as opposed to racial or ethnic) grounds, and why such discrimination tends to be self-reinforcing.

Claire first talks about her general research agenda that looks at conflict and cooperation among different ethnic groups in Africa and how she came to be included in a research team examining Muslims in France. Prof. Adida provides us with a general overview of her study noting how the research team sought to sort out religious discrimination from other potential points of conflict, such as race or ethnicity. The presence of a Senegalese population that had both Muslim and Christian members, and which entered the country in roughly the same era, provided a unique opportunity to undertake a series of comparative experiments to gain explanatory leverage on this topic. Claire further lays out the religious demography of France noting how immigration from North Africa in the post-WWII era started to reshape the religious and ethnic landscape.

We spend significant portions of our conversation detailing the research methodology. While this may appear to be a mundane detail, how social scientists explore their topics can have an impact on what they find, thus the conversation is both worthwhile and enlightening. To determine whether labor force discrimination existed in France on a religious dimension, Prof. Adida and her collaborators sent vitas (résumés) to employers that were identical in all respects except for “religious markers,” which included Muslim or Christian sounding names and notations about volunteering for specific religious (or secular) organizations. Later, we also talk about a series of behavioral economics games (e.g., trust game, dictator game) that the team played with test subjects to discern different types of discrimination. All of this made use of the Senegalese population as a “natural” means of introducing controls into study (and we cover various limitations and methodological solutions in the research design).

Prof. Adida points out several important findings from this study at various points in our discussion. First, the research team was able to determine that labor-force (hiring) discrimination did exist in France and that it was significant on the dimension of religion. Muslim Senegalese women were much less likely to get interview calls than either a Christian Senegalese woman or one with a secular portfolio. Second, they explore the presence of two types of discrimination — “rational” and “non-rational” Islamophobia. Contrary to what the name may sound like, “rational Islamophobia” does not seek to morally validate discrimination, but rather is defined as discrimination based upon some collected information on the part of an individual. For instance, learning that Muslims may need to pray several times a day, an employer may not want to hire such an individual because they believe it would interrupt the work environment. It may also be that more conservative attitudes towards women that are held by Muslim may interfere with the goals of greater gender equity in the workplace. “Non-rational” Islamophobia, on the other hand, refers to emotional preferences (or “tastes”) that do not necessarily have a basis in information gathering. The research team discovers both types of discrimination are at play in France. We further explore the reasons for such discrimination and Prof. Adida introduces the concept of a “discriminatory equilibrium.” Given France’s history of secularism (laicite), native French will find it difficult to relate to immigrants who are more religious, have more socially conservative views, and who engage in religious practices that are publicly visible (e.g., wearing the hijab). Moreover, innate “non-rational Islamophobia” also pushes non-Muslim French citizens from wanting to interact with immigrants. This, in turn, provides little incentive for Muslims to seek ways to assimilate (or integrate) into secular French society, which results in this “equilibrium.” Claire discusses a few policy proposals that she and her co-authors have devised, along with what she learned throughout the process of the study. Recorded: December 21, 2015.

Why Muslim Integration Fails in Christian-Heritage Societies, by Claire Adida, David Laitin, and Marie-Anne Valfort.

Immigrant Exclusion and Insecurity in Africa, by Claire Adida.

Nations, States, and Violence, by David Laitin (co-author and research with Claire Adida).

Identity in Formation, by David Laitin.

Hegemony and Culture, by David Laitin.

RELATED PODCASTS

Ahmet Kuru on Islam in Europe.

Elie Estrin on the History and Traditions of Chanukah

tonygill — Sun, 06 Dec 2015 09:00:05 +0000

How did the holiday of Chanukah begin and what are some of the traditions with its celebration? We are joined by Elie Estrin, rabbi at Chabad at the University of Washington and an air force chaplain with the 627th Air Base Group at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, who reviews the history and ways in which this important Jewish holiday is celebrated. A constant theme of our discussion is the importance of cultural pride and religious freedom, lessons which were important thousands of years ago and still resonate today.

Our conversation, as usual, begins with getting to know our guest. We talk with Rabbi Estrin about how he ended up as a military chaplain and whether he had to go through basic training. We also discuss his path towards the rabbinate and his current work with Chabad, and Elie graciously explains what that organization is all about.

We then dive into the historical origins of Chanukah, going back some 2200 years and the efforts of the Greeks to Hellenize Judaism, or assimilate it into Greek pagan culture. Elie reviews some of the main historical figures in the story and the lead up to a guerrilla war against the Greeks. Upon retaking the Temple Mount, Judah Maccabee had his band of followers cleanse and rededicate the altar, which required burning oil for eight days. Although they only had enough pure olive oil to burn for one day, the supply miraculously lasted for the full eight days giving rise to the tradition of lighting a menorah. Tony learns that Chanukah stands for “rededication” and Elie also explains the reason we see different spellings of the holiday (e.g., Hanukkah). He also brings up some recent archaeological finds in Israel that are of importance to the history of Chanukah. Rabbi Estrin re-emphasizes the importance of the holiday for religious freedom — the right to practice one’s faith according to one’s conscience freely, particularly in a realm where you are a religious minority — and its importance for remembering and celebrating Jewish identity.

Following our discussion of the events 2200 years ago, Elie explains where Chanukah fits into the grand scheme of Jewish holidays. Although we often hear of “High Holy Days,” Rabbi Estrin notes that there really are no “minor” holidays in the Jewish calendar and each celebration has its own particular and important meaning. He reviews the difference between rabbinic holidays and biblical holidays. We then explore a number of the traditions associated with Chanukah, beginning with the lighting of the menorah. Elie notes that there has been some historical debate whether Jews are to light one candle on the first day of the holiday and progress to eight, or whether one starts with eight candles lit and roll down to one. The former tradition has tended to predominate as a means of representing how light increasingly pushes back darkness. We also discuss what can constitute a menorah, and Elie tells Tony that whatever is available is fine and points out Jews have been incredibly creative in always finding ways to celebrate even under the harshest of conditions such as the Holocaust and Soviet persecution. This emphasizes the resilience of the Jewish people and the seriousness with which they take their faith. Our conversation also covers a number of other traditions such as the dreidel, gelt (and giving of presents), and the various foods associated with Chanukah. The emphasis on fried foods and dairy leads Tony to conclude that this might be one of the most delicious holidays ever.

We conclude with conversation about how Jews celebrate Chanukah in various settings, including America. Rabbi Estrin, who works closely with college students through Chabad, recognizes that it is often difficult to retain one’s religious identity when in the minority and Chanukah becomes an important time for Jews to reconnect with their faith. We talk about the issues of assimilation and cultural/religious identity that we have discussed on previous podcasts (see below) with Elie noting that it is a constant challenge to convince folks that being Jewish is not just about being dependent on a synagogue, but is something that must be lived daily in one’s life and that you need to build upon your faith one piece at a time, a message that is applicable to individuals within all faiths. Recorded: November 13, 2015.

RELATED LINKS

Chabad at the University of Washington.

Rabbi Elie Estrin on Twitter.

RELATED PODCASTS

Daniel Libenson on Present and Future Judaism.

Carmel Chiswick on the Economics of Being Jewish in America.

Linda Weiser Friedman on Jewish Humor.

Carmel Chiswick on the Economics of American Judaism.

Jeff Levin on Judaism and Health.

Rajdeep Singh on American Sikhs and Religious Liberty.

Linda Weiser Friedman on Jewish Humor

tonygill — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 08:00:57 +0000

You can find additional bits of humor from God Laughed at our Facebook Fan Page.

(Please note there is audio interference that was difficult to edit out at the 31-32 minute mark of the interview.)

RELATED LINKS

Linda Weiser Friedman’s bio at City University of New York.

Hershey Friedman’s bio (co-author) at City University of New York.

God Laughed: Sources of Jewish Humor, by Hershey Friedman and Linda Weiser Friedman.

Laughter in Hell: The Use of Humor during the Holocaust, by Steve Lipman (mentioned in podcast).

RELATED PODCASTS

Carmel Chiswick on the Economics of American Judaism.

Christopher Grenda on Religious Satire During the Enlightenment.

Ken Wald on the Puzzling Politics of American Jews.

Mark Koyama on the Economics of Jewish Expulsions.

Christopher Scheitle’s Religious Road Trip

tonygill — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 09:00:06 +0000

What do you get when you take a seasoned sociologist and a senior research associate, put them in a rented Dodge Charger for six weeks, and tell them to discover what America’s spiritual landscape is all about? You get a religious road trip with Christopher P. Scheitle and Roger Finke .. and you learn a whole lot about what it is like to be religious in the US! Chris Scheitle, a senior research associate in the Department of Sociology at Penn State University and adjunct assistant professor at the College of St. Benedict – St. John’s University in Minnessota, tells us how this unique research project came about. He reveals how he suggested this offbeat idea to Roger Finke over a few beers and that Roger came back with some research funding and his wife’s permission a few days later and off they went (after a bit of preparation). Their first stop took them to Memphis, TN to investigate the experience and influence of an African American church headed up by Robert Cole. Chris details how the black church experience has permeated the broader American culture and what this means for religion in America. It is then off to Houston, TX to pop into Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church, a megachurch that serves roughly 40,000 congregants on any given Sunday. We discuss the role of megachurches in America and how they represent the adaptability and creativity of the American religious spirit. We then stop at a local Houston Yerberia and a cowboy church just out of Amarillo to find out what these entities bring to the national experience. Travelling up to Colorado Springs, often called the “Vatican of evangelical Christianity,” we then find out about the role played by parachurch organizations such as Focus on the Family and Global Mapping International. And then it is off to San Francisco to peak into various Asian immigrant religious groups such as the Buddhist Churches of America and even a Hare Krishna group. We finish up the trip with an exploration of Muslims in Detroit and Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn. All along the way, Tony peppers Chris with questions about what it is like to drive around the country with a full professor and what kind of music Roger Finke likes to listen to. We end with Chris’s thoughts on what he learned from this trip and find out that although the American religious landscape is defined by its pluralism and diversity, in reality many religious folks of different faith traditions often share the same concerns with one another; Chris ends up impressed with the similarities that arise from our national diversity. Recorded: February 17, 2012.

RELATED LINKS

Places of Faith: A Road Trip across America’s Religious Landscape, by Christopher P. Scheitle and Roger Finke.

Christopher P. Scheitle’s website and Penn State University.

The Association of Religious Data Archive (ARDA) at Penn State University.

An article about Places of Faith at Ahead of the Trend on The ARDA.

RELATED PODCASTS

Roger Finke on Religious Persecution.

Daniel Stiles on Cowboy Churches.

Chris Bader on Ghosts, Bigfoot, and the Paranormal.