Political sociologists have articulated state-making as the concentration of power and violence within state apparatuses. However, classical theories have often overlooked the distinctive characteristics of settler colonial nation-state formation, whose raison d’état is the preservation of settler sovereignty and supremacy, accumulated largely through practices of dispossession, appropriation, subjugation, and elimination, and whose power is dispersed at times to settler-citizens. Examining the case of Israel, and identifying divergent ideal types of settler colonial violence, the article pinpoints the unique features that define Israel as a settler colonial state. Moreover, it explores how the monopoly on violence is variably applied depending on contingent dynamics, and dialectical interactions with the indigenous and their habitus of sumud (steadfastness). The analysis delves into the themes of state violence and the state of exception, examining the case of the ‘Dignity Intifada’ in May 2021, alongside the genocidal war since October 7, 2023. By comprehending the material and symbolic processes shaping the persistence of settler colonialism in its different formations, the article contributes to a nuanced understanding how ‘war-by-other-means’ and indigenous resistance both endure.

Our research investigates a collection of distinctive case studies identified as ‘womb-tomb sacred structures,’ scattered throughout the region colloquially referred to as the Holy Land. This geographical area, nestled between the Mediterranean Sea and the East Bank of the Jordan River, holds profound historical and religious significance, intersecting with the biblical Land of Israel and the broader region of Palestine. It is revered by followers of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This study offers a pioneering exploration of the complex interplay between human corporeal rituals at sacred sites and architectural forms, illuminating not only how these rituals impact architectural design but also how the design influences the rituals themselves. We have catalogued an extensive array of womb-tomb structures across this landscape, dating from various periods including the First and Second Temples (700 BCE) and the Byzantine era. Despite their chronological diversity, these structures share architectural characteristics—typically, they are enclosed, cave-like spaces, often dimly lit and surmounted by domes. The architectural geomorphology of the womb-tomb designs prescribes specific bodily movements, with their distinctive forms necessitating, and sometimes enforcing, actions such as bending, crawling, and bowing within these enveloping spaces. Our exploration is supported by a novel methodological framework consisting of nine stages, which harmoniously blends architectural analysis (including Spatial Analysis, Morphological Analysis, 4D Approach) with anthropological perspectives and methodologies (including observations, interviews, photographic documentation, and short films). Our results elucidate that these architectural structures and morphologies serve not merely as sanctified sites but also unveil previously unrecognized connections among human anatomy, architectural configurations of the afterlife, and the connections between ritualistic conceptualization of soil, land, and territory as expressions of ownership and power.

While the praxeological turn in social research has resulted in many empirical studies, there are few works utilizing this concept as a framework to analyze complex architectural–anthropological phenomena, in particular in sacred geographies. This study addresses this gap by integrating architectural and anthropological approaches to explore interactions between humans, non-humans and what are considered sacred environments.,It presents case studies of the womb–tomb archetypes of Rabbi Zechariah and Rabbi Avdimi in northern Israel to demonstrate how ritualistic practices shape and are shaped by these structures that are deeply connected to human anatomy, lifecycles and territoriality.,Our analysis uses isovist analysis to examine the spatial dynamics of sacred architectures, which is then applied to Navisworks Roamer 3D Viewer to estimate the materials from a sacred architectural–anthropological perspective that better reflects body movements and ritualistic performances.,Based on our findings from interviews, observations and architectural measures, we reveal how these practices simultaneously articulate land as property—an exclusive, territorial claim rooted in religious and political narratives—and as connectivity, emphasizing relational ties that foster a sense of belonging and interdependence with the land.,This duality is represented by the embodied gestures of bending, crawling and touching in these spaces, which establish both symbolic ownership and deep relationships with the environment.,The findings emphasize the importance of bodily engagements and narrative constructions in reimagining human–environment relationships and contribute to the broader discourse on practice-based boundary making approaches in architectural studies.,They also demonstrate how body-environment practices shape ongoing negotiations of land, belonging and totemic relationships within complex cultural landscapes.

Since the 1930s, the Andoque have navigated their post-genocide recovery by drawing on siblinghood notions from their mythology and rituals for resilience and well-being. Focusing on the younger/elder brother dichotomy, this article reveals how, while myths celebrate the cunning of later-borns, their related ceremonial dances are undervalued, despite mirroring the regional transition toward peaceful exchanges. Investigating mythology, correspondences between birth order and ritual specialization, and the relationality enacted in each dance, I argue that the firstborn/later-born dichotomy is grounded in a hierarchical opposition between agnatic descent and affinal alliances with humans and nonhumans. This tension positions later-borns as both vital and potentially disruptive, linking the ritual prominence of firstborns to demographic ambitions and growing human-nonhuman ontological disparities. The analysis demonstrates how the association between birth order and social attitudes, when aptly situated within the socio-cosmic conception of a given society, can elucidate its members’ strategies in specific historical situations.

Large Language Models (LLMs) are revolutionizing how qualitative researchers can work with textual data. Rather than relying only on codebooks or manual line-by-line analysis, scholars can “converse” with their materials by asking targeted questions, probing for contextual insights, and refining theoretical connections. This dialogue-like process speeds up traditional tasks—transcription, coding, theme identification—while sparking broader possibilities for exploration. Researchers prompt the LLM to surface recurring patterns, detect subtle shifts in tone, or suggest new interpretive angles. These capabilities neither diminish the centrality of human expertise nor replace the analytical depth that defines qualitative research. Instead, they expand the researcher’s toolkit, allowing more time for theoretical reflection and rich meaning-making. The LLM becomes an active partner: it quickly identifies connections that might take days or weeks of manual work, yet the scholar remains responsible for selecting which prompts to use, verifying the outputs, and situating them within appropriate conceptual frameworks. Ethical considerations—such as data security and bias—demand careful oversight and transparent reporting, emphasizing the importance of maintaining scholarly integrity. Taken together, LLM-facilitated analysis offer a promising avenue to enhance qualitative research, leveraging both computational efficiency and the nuanced, reflexive insights at the heart of interpretive inquiry.

The essentialization and sacralization of gender differentiation and division of labor have become central to religious doxas and identities in most religions. This aspect of religiosity has affected gender equity and equality at work in several ways: It poses challenges for employers who are required to integrate and manage devout men and women, for the religious women and men required to bridge the contradicting normative demands of their religious communities and the modern workplace, and for secular employees and stakeholders having to cope with the religious conceptualization of gender issues around the workplace. The entry provides a systematic analysis of the main challenges organizations and their members face when dealing with religious diversity and the way it affects gender identities, inequality, and interactions at work.

A must-read that reshapes how we think about the social underpinnings of our financial choices. In Irrational Together, economic sociologist Adam S. Hayes takes readers on a fascinating journey to uncover the often-unseen social forces that shape our financial behavior. Drawing on original research and engaging real-world examples, Hayes challenges not only the notion that economic decisions are purely rational but also the prevailing behavioral economics view that irrational choices stem primarily from individual beliefs. Instead, he argues that our economic choices and actions are deeply embedded in our social and cultural contexts and that understanding these influences is crucial to fully grasp the complexities of financial decision-making. From the impact of social class and cultural capital on risk-taking and the role of social networks and group identities in shaping consumer choices to the gendered dimensions of financial advice and literacy, this book weaves together insights from sociology, behavioral economics, and cultural studies to paint a nuanced picture of how we navigate the economic landscape as inherently social beings. Why, for example, would someone choose to continue paying 20% interest on a large credit card debt rather than taking out a low-interest mortgage on their home to pay off the card? As Hayes makes clear through rigorous analysis, cultural values—like those related to home ownership—hold as much or more sway over us than financial best practices. Bridging the gap between behavioral economics and sociology, this groundbreaking work paves the way for a more holistic understanding of the social and cultural influences on economic behavior. Hayes also looks to the future and argues that to correct major disparities in our social understanding of wealth and money, we need to construct financial systems that consider a diversity of social backgrounds. With its accessible language and thought-provoking insights, Irrational Together is an essential guide for anyone seeking to understand the intersection of money, society, and human behavior.

This article examines the impact of intercultural encounters on the identities of Israeli scientists interacting with their American counterparts. The cross-cultural experience in American academia compels Israeli scholars to identify the codes that structure this environment. Using these codes as a mirror, they reflect on their previous habits of thinking, speaking, and acting. Based on 144 interviews with Israeli scholars immersed in American academia, the study demonstrates how respondents become aware of their cultural habitus. What they once took for granted becomes evident when they engage with the American academic setting. The analysis reveals that by looking into this academic mirror, respondents gain insights into three cultural codes that shape their Israeli habitus. First, they recognize that, unlike their American colleagues who conform to hierarchical structures, they advocate for a non-compliant "hutzpah" attitude toward authority. Second, through their encounters with the pleasantries of American discourse, they become aware of their own tendency toward direct, even aggressive, speech. Third, as they observe American tendencies toward proceduralism and rule following, Israeli scientists begin to appreciate the value of their own non-conformism. While acknowledging the problematic aspects of their behavior, Israeli scholars view their foundational habitus as fostering critical thinking, originality, and creativity. Rather than merely integrating into American mores, they increasingly recognize their primordial cultural assets as integral to their intellectual strengths.

This volume collects reflections on secularity from the Middle East and North Africa. To highlight proximate connections as well as resonances with debates elsewhere, it includes premodern contributions from the region as well as Jewish thought from Europe that have provided significant references for modern appropriations of secularity. The texts, for the most part previously untranslated, reflect commonalities within the region as well as its great diversity. Thus, while Islam is a common reference for most of our authors, the selections point to its varied invocations in the interest of differing political ends. Others write from a Christian or Jewish perspective, or subscribe to non-religious intellectual traditions. They range from premodern Muslim jurisprudents and philosophers to Ottoman statesmen, Arab socialist and nationalist intellectuals of the interwar period, Iranian revolutionaries, Israeli novelists, and finally, post-secular intellectuals, lay and religious, predominantly from the former Islamic heartland: modern Arab states and Iran. Several introductions weave together the swathe of topics raised in the discussions, beginning with a schematic presentation of the concerns that undergird the volume’s organization.

In an era marked by heightened globalization and climate crisis, the proliferation of alien or invasive species has emerged as a critical issue. This article delves into the contentious debates surrounding strategies for addressing these species, offering insights into divergent visions of “environmental futures” and the intricate interplay of concern, risk, and power relations in the Anthropocene. Through ethnographic research, the article scrutinizes discourses and practices related to the preservation of sabras, recent immigrants from the Americas that have become emblematic in Israel/Palestine, symbolizing a shared connection to the land for Jews and Palestinians. The primary focus is on efforts to protect sabras from an invasive insect threat, which involves introducing a “natural enemy” to combat the intruder, sparking controversy among scientists and stakeholders. By employing the concept of “Anthropocene concern,” the article unveils the anxieties of various actors regarding nonhuman entities and demonstrates how these perceptions drive human actions or inaction. Despite the temptation to associate the political struggle only with the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, the article shows the importance of analyzing the political–scientific struggle around the appropriate approach to dealing with invasive species and how emotions, politics, and science are intertwined at different levels, requiring careful analysis and interpretation.