Ethnic Divisions Within Unity: Insights into Intra-Group Segregation from Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox Society

Ethnic segregation, a global phenomenon shaping social dynamics, urban development, and political behavior, is typically studied between distinct racial or national groups. This study provides insights into internal divisions within seemingly unified populations by investigating intra-group segregat...

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Main Author: Boris Gorelik
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Social Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/3/169
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author Boris Gorelik
author_facet Boris Gorelik
author_sort Boris Gorelik
collection DOAJ
description Ethnic segregation, a global phenomenon shaping social dynamics, urban development, and political behavior, is typically studied between distinct racial or national groups. This study provides insights into internal divisions within seemingly unified populations by investigating intra-group segregation within Israel’s ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Jewish communities. By analyzing Knesset voting patterns as a proxy for residential distribution, I quantify segregation between two major ethnic groups within the Haredi community and identify significant segregation across Haredi-majority cities and clusters. Dissimilarity indices reveal distinct voluntary segregation patterns, with the city of Ashdod emerging as a unique case study due to its dynamic segregation trends and an unexplained sharp decline in dissimilarity in 2021. A comparison with Black–White segregation in U.S. metro areas highlights differing drivers of segregation: cultural and religious dynamics in Haredi communities versus structural inequalities in the U.S. Despite relatively lower dissimilarity scores, cultural and institutional factors reinforce residential separation. This research underscores the need for continued exploration of segregation’s underlying drivers and its implications for fostering more cohesive societies.
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spelling doaj-art-7f6fe0770bd24c888ca5d3f79d7a14af2025-08-20T02:43:07ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602025-03-0114316910.3390/socsci14030169Ethnic Divisions Within Unity: Insights into Intra-Group Segregation from Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox SocietyBoris Gorelik0School of Software and Electrical Engineering, Azrieli College of Engineering, 26 Yaakov Shreibom St., Jerusalem 9103501, IsraelEthnic segregation, a global phenomenon shaping social dynamics, urban development, and political behavior, is typically studied between distinct racial or national groups. This study provides insights into internal divisions within seemingly unified populations by investigating intra-group segregation within Israel’s ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Jewish communities. By analyzing Knesset voting patterns as a proxy for residential distribution, I quantify segregation between two major ethnic groups within the Haredi community and identify significant segregation across Haredi-majority cities and clusters. Dissimilarity indices reveal distinct voluntary segregation patterns, with the city of Ashdod emerging as a unique case study due to its dynamic segregation trends and an unexplained sharp decline in dissimilarity in 2021. A comparison with Black–White segregation in U.S. metro areas highlights differing drivers of segregation: cultural and religious dynamics in Haredi communities versus structural inequalities in the U.S. Despite relatively lower dissimilarity scores, cultural and institutional factors reinforce residential separation. This research underscores the need for continued exploration of segregation’s underlying drivers and its implications for fostering more cohesive societies.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/3/169ethnic segregationHaredi communitiesdissimilarity indexintra-group segregationcultural hubsvoluntary segregation
spellingShingle Boris Gorelik
Ethnic Divisions Within Unity: Insights into Intra-Group Segregation from Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox Society
Social Sciences
ethnic segregation
Haredi communities
dissimilarity index
intra-group segregation
cultural hubs
voluntary segregation
title Ethnic Divisions Within Unity: Insights into Intra-Group Segregation from Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox Society
title_full Ethnic Divisions Within Unity: Insights into Intra-Group Segregation from Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox Society
title_fullStr Ethnic Divisions Within Unity: Insights into Intra-Group Segregation from Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox Society
title_full_unstemmed Ethnic Divisions Within Unity: Insights into Intra-Group Segregation from Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox Society
title_short Ethnic Divisions Within Unity: Insights into Intra-Group Segregation from Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox Society
title_sort ethnic divisions within unity insights into intra group segregation from israel s ultra orthodox society
topic ethnic segregation
Haredi communities
dissimilarity index
intra-group segregation
cultural hubs
voluntary segregation
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/3/169
work_keys_str_mv AT borisgorelik ethnicdivisionswithinunityinsightsintointragroupsegregationfromisraelsultraorthodoxsociety