Questions and Topics We Can Help You To Answer:
Paper Instructions:

Part B
In secularization theory, the ‘tradition’ aspect of religion was expected to diminish greatly if not die
altogether. Tradition as we defined it in class has been very difficult for many modern people, even
modern sociologists, to understand clearly without cultural blinders. Write an essay that shows a careful
understanding of religious tradition as it relates to cases of Jewish religious practice that we read and
discussed in class. You should use each of our three cases: the case of eastern European Jewish shtetl life
in Life is with People, the case of Lincoln Square synagogue (modern Orthodox) converts in Davidman’s
study and the case of Bais Chana (Hasidic) converts also in Davidman’s study. Your essay should
consider:
→Why has it been hard for sociologists to study tradition and why did some think it would nearly die?
Bring in secularization theory and the context behind it—the assumptions of modernization theory. Give a
couple concrete examples of “blinders” or misperceptions that cloud our understanding of tradition.
→What are important differences in how tradition works among the three cases?
→Discuss how religious tradition shapes gender relations and gender self-understandings, especially in
Davidman’s cases. In some circles, people assume that strict religion is “bad for women” or that it
disadvantages them. How would you respond to this idea in light of our readings and discussion?
→How if at all does the trend toward increasing religious individualism in the U.S. affect orthodox
Jewish practice in Davidman’s cases?
For full credit, the essay must draw on:
• Zborowski and Herzog, Life is with People (the selections we read for class).
•Davidman’s Tradition in a Rootless World, both the Lincoln Square and Bais Chana cases.
You may draw on the video Horodok, A Shtetl’s Story 1920-1945 and our discussion of it also, but use it
just for illustration; your main ideas should come from our readings
A good essay will:
a) show you understand the concept of tradition as applied to religion and can discuss it with subtlety.
b) show you can see differences between the three cases, with short quotes or examples from each case.
(We mean religious, cultural or gender differences, not just that one case is from Europe and the other two
are from different U.S. locales. Think about differences in how religious practitioners relate to tradition
and their own religious identities.)
c) show you can see different ways that religious tradition interacts with gender.
d) use short quotes and examples from the readings to support your claims. Use what you’ve learned in
this course and show you thought with our readings.
TIP FOR THE WHOLE ESSAY ASSIGNMENT: These essays need only very short introductions, then
you can get right to stating your argument. Also, no need to take space for descriptive things about an
author or a book, such as “Wade Clark Roof, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara,
wrote a book titled Spiritual Marketplace. . .” You will want to focus on the ideas and arguments in the
readings. Enjoy thinking with the prompts