The Ethnological/ Sociological View - The 92nd Street Y, New York

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Accounting for Jewish Survival

The Ethnological/ Sociological View

Apr 24, 1990


Dr. John “Jack” Murray Cuddihy, professor of sociology at Hunter College of the City University of New York, speaks about the survival of the Jewish people from an ethnological and sociological perspective. This lecture is part of a series discussing the idea of “Jewish survival” from different academic and theological views. Cuddihy labels his general argument a “multi-dimensional theory of survival.” He covers the meaning of primordial versus civil ties in sociology and then defines what he refers to as the “three P’s” of social stratification: property, power and prestige. Using that sociological language, Cuddihy explores a series of “elements in the cultural system of Judaism” that could have contributed to the survival of the Jewish community and identity. Following the lecture, Rabbi Paul Joseph moderates a discussion with Cuddihy, including questions from the audience.

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