Communal, cultural, and heritage research

Communal, cultural, and heritage research

The community in modern society is defined by individuals’ sense of belonging to different and flexible groups. Individuals in a community are identified by the social belonging based on values, norms, rules of conduct, and faith.

High-quality research of groups in a community, neighborhood, and workplace or at any social interaction will define and clarify the relationships between the individuals in a group.

In recent years, there has been a growing trend among ethnic groups seeking self-determination to foster their heritage. Collective memory, values, norms, behaviors, ideologies, and social codes are retrieved for the social dialogue. Fostering local heritage creates a sense of community belonging in a world in which alienation is increasing.

Community research includes the following steps:

Collecting information through interviews with people from the community, leaders, and professionals
Conducting study tours and meeting residents, tenants, and workers
Learning about the local culture, customs, and daily life in the community
Writing an ethnographic description
Submitting recommendations to community leaders

Selected projects

2012: a heritage project at the Matte Yehuda Regional Council. In the project, we interviewed scores of senior citizens, collected stories, objects, and texts that characterize the different ethnic groups. Activities were also carried out with the local education system, women, and the elderly.