An Ultra-Orthodox Researcher: Oxymoron or Opportunity? A Typology of Appearances of Conflicting Identities of an Insider Researcher

The Ultra-Orthodox community segregates itself from external influence in order to preserve its values. Both academia and the world of research are perceived as dangerous influential arenas that need to be kept out of the community as much as possible. Therefore, an Ultra-Orthodox researcher deals with these two conflicting parts of their identity: being Ultra-Orthodox and being part of the academic research world. This chapter describes the experience of an Ultra-Orthodox researcher in different contexts. An analysis of these experiences reveals four different types of expression of these two conflicting parts of the Ultra-Orthodox researcher’s identity: (1) one component of the identity is empowered; (2) one component is diminished: (3) both components are diminished; and (4) both components are empowered. The article links the findings to theoretical literature that deals with the tensions between religion and science and the insider-outsider discourse. Recommendations for future research are included.