Violent Men: The Archetypical Father and the Concept of Masculinity for Orthodox and Secular Israeli Jewish Men

• In Event: Upheaval in Israel

Abstract

Across the annals of time, men have exhibited aggression within intimate relationships. Passed down through successive generations, from fathers to sons, this aggression - deemed by many a fundamental aspect of masculinity - can perhaps find its roots in the archetypical origins of manhood manifested in Jewish myths and rituals, as well as in Zionist heroic tales. This presentation will explore the Father Figure in Jewish Israeli families, and its relation to the concept and internalization of intimate violence. The presentation will discuss the analysis of qualitative interviews with 25 adult Jewish-Israeli men in violent relationships, and address current textual manifestations of the concept of the masculine. Taking into consideration the work of Carl Jung, and especially the notion of the “tyrannical omnipotence” of the father, the presentation will touch upon various negative elements constructing “The Father”, such as control, inaccessibility, harshness, fierceness, and punishment. Through Jungian reading of the interviews, the presentation will also discuss the ways in which these elements of “The Father” can be reassessed in order to reshape the concept Israeli masculinity, and achieve a sense of healing.

Author

• Omer Zvi Shaked, Bar Ilan Univercity