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Construction of “glocal” (global–local) identity among Israeli graduate students in the USA

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Abstract

This study focuses on the effect of doctoral and postdoctoral studies at leading research universities in the USA on constructing the academic identity of Israeli students. The findings are based on constant comparative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 27 Fulbright alumni. The results show that while American scientific standards become a model for the Israeli scientists, Israeli culture and identity become much more evident, for better or worse. Several ways of handling these identities were recognized and include: the intertwine method, ordering, and buffering. Further theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their thanks to the United States-Israel Educational Foundation (USIEF), the Fulbright Commission for Israel, which initiated and funded the interviewing project upon which this paper is based.

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Correspondence to Dorit Tubin.

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Tubin, D., Lapidot, O. Construction of “glocal” (global–local) identity among Israeli graduate students in the USA. High Educ 55, 203–217 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-006-9049-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-006-9049-x

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