Place of publication: United States, Ann Arbor; ISBN=978-1-369-04740-0
Ph.D.
Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences
Lesley University
2016
The purpose of this research was to offer young expressive therapists in Israel, a country with a complex cultural narrative, a tool that might enhance ethno-cultural empathy competencies. The research question was: What is the effect of Personal Portrait Photographs on cultural attitude among Jewish and Arabic expressive/art therapists in Israel? A qualitative arts based study based in constructivist empirical phenomenology was executed collecting data via photo elicitation, through use of portrait photographs of faces of women wearing three religious head dresses: Jewish, Muslim and Christian. The photographs were revised to portray participants' faces in the portrait photo. Participants were 9 women expressive therapists of 3 religions; 2 religious and 1 secular of each religion. Facilitators were two women expressive therapists, Jewish and Christian Arab. Data was analyzed using inductive thematic analysis by researcher and facilitators, compared, coded and observed for prominent themes and sub-themes. Themes were viewed by a Gestalt therapy approach and concepts. Themes found were: 1. Pattern, and sub-themes were projection, women, personal identity and religion 2. Breaking patterns with sub themes of women (new), self-awareness. 3. Integration of parts, and sub-theme of new self-awareness. 4. Between cultures and sub-themes of affiliation group, fear of the 'other' and caution. 5. Professional identity.
Social research; Social psychology; Middle Eastern Studies; Ethnic studies
Social sciences;Psychology;Arabic therapists;Ethno-cultural empathy;Expressive therapy;Gestalt;Israel;Jewish therapists;Phototherapy