CHAPTER 8: Discourse on Equity and Social Justice in a Muslim High School in Israel: A Case Study

Few studies have investigated equity and social justice discourse in educational institutions in developing societies; such studies are especially sparse in Arab society in Israel. The present study aimed to clarify the construction of discourse concerning equity and social justice in an Arab high school in Israel, pointing up the gendering of certain activities and identifying differences in the perceptions of male and female staff and students regarding educational experiences at school (if they existed); and whether the school promotes debate and socialization for equality between the sexes? An ethnographic case study was conducted in an Arab Muslim senior-high school in Israel. Observations, personal interviews and a focus group were employed to glean the perceptions of teachers (including the principal) and students concerning (1) the way that the school constructs discourse concerning equity and social justice especially in respect to gender, (2) the students’ learning contents and (3) the construction of Muslim male and female teachers’ behaviors in their natural environmental reality. Findings provide insights concerning the Arab Muslim high school in Israel, indicating that although official rhetoric supports an equitable society within the school the influence of the traditional environment supports a covert inequitable culture. It is concluded that there is a need for empathetic educators-students dialog, a need to listen to the voice of the younger generation, and to address the challenge of Muslim Arab society’s norms in order to promote more egalitarian perceptions and practices.