Finding Belonging
The Role of Religious Faith in Coping with the COVID-19 Pandemic
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Cameron Iqbal
There have been a number of studies that have looked at how the general population were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Few of these have considered the role of faith. This study used a cross-sectional design with an online questionnaire. A ‘bespoke questionnaire’ was developed for this study by the researcher. It comprised 19 items which looked at attitudes towards the pandemic, answered on a six-point Likert scale. A factor analysis using the Principal Components method with Direct Oblimin Rotation, found a two-factor solution. Factor 1 had 10 items and was labelled, ‘Faith as a protection against COVID-19.’ Factor 2 had 9 items and was labelled ‘Emotional reactions to COVID-19.’ The internal reliability of Factor 1 was .85 and .82 for Factor 2. The individual item with the highest score was Question 3, ‘My religion has guidance relating to positive comments which assist in having a positive outlook on life.’ This had a score of 5.48/6.00. The top seven scoring items were all from Factor 1, showing the importance of faith for this population. Age and gender were not found to have any significant impact on the dependent variables. In response to the three open-ended questions, it was clear that the greatest challenge for this group of people during COVID-19, was not being able to see extended family. In contrast, the greatest benefit, was being able to spend more quality time with immediate family. However, the study shows how important faith was for many people during the pandemic.
Women in Gaza: Caught Between Hamas Authoritarianism and Israeli Violence View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Maria Holt
Since the start of the Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip, in October 2023, the UN estimates that over 70 percent of civilian casualties have been women and children. Women suffer violence both in war and peace and, in Gaza, women are especially vulnerable 'due to family separation and the consequent loss of protection amidst the increasing presence of Israeli forces and widespread gender-based violence'. Even before the most recent hostilities, Palestinian women were subjected to forms of ideological control, with the intention of producing a 'new Islamic woman'. But, since October 2023, conditions for women in Gaza have deteriorated drastically. There have been reports of 'sexual assaults and violence against women and girls, including those detained by Israeli forces'. The paper asks why Palestinian women in Gaza tend to be represented primarily as victims, of Israeli invading forces and their own society. It argues that the reality is more complex. Despite desperate circumstances, women possess agency and are capable of acting on behalf of themselves and their children. The paper is based on fieldwork research conducted in the Palestinian Territories between 2000-2019, supported by a thorough review of the literature and recent events.
‘Oh My God, You Are so Sexy’: Spacing Sexuality in Women-oriented Workspaces View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Varda Wasserman,
Michal Frenkel
The study develops the concept of “spacing sexuality” to explore the construction of alternative women-oriented workspaces aimed at challenging traditional workplace gender norms and fostering a new ideal type of woman entrepreneur. By highlighting the dialectical process of spacing, the study investigates how sexuality is constructed through aesthetic means and how space users negotiate and experience this. Based on two coworking spaces in New York and Tel Aviv, the study explores the interplay among space, sexuality, and gender, and it offers a theoretical framework to understand the role of sexuality in establishing women-oriented workspaces. Its contribution is threefold: first, it illuminates how workspaces for women are shaped through spacing processes and aesthetic assemblages that involve complex negotiations around femininity. Second, it highlights that sexuality is both empowering women at work—as it challenges gender norms and fosters a supportive community and a sense of belonging—and is rooted in unequal gender power relations. Finally, it explores how the construction of alternative gender regimes in women-oriented spaces intersects with the pressures of the entrepreneurial world, emphasizing the nuanced negotiation of femininity and success.
