The study of contemporary culture brings about an emotional involvement of the researcher into the research’s results. Since the New Age is a counterculture, it criticizes the academic discourse as well. Therefore, any scholarly criticism of the New Age stands as a “mirror” to the scholarly criticism.
This complex situation was described and analyzed in a lecture at the annual conference of the Israeli Sociological Association in 2006.
The lecture took part in a session chaired by Nurit Zaidman, under the title “Spirituality and New Age”, at the 37th annual conference of the Israel Sociological Association, dedicated to the theme “Sociology, Ethics, Politics”, at Bar Ilan University, February 22-23, 2006.
The abstract and presentation (in Hebrew) are available below. Unfortinately, there is no film; an abstract and presentation (in Heberw) are available.
This lecture is a part of a research project by Ruah-Midbar Shapiro on the complex negotiation between academic discourse and the contemporary alternative spiritualities.
Language
Hebrew
Academic/Non-academic
Academic item
Bibliographical citation
Ruah-Midbar, Marianna, “Criticism of New Age Culture, or New Age as Cultural Criticism”, a lecture at the Israeli Sociological Society 37th Annual Conference, Bar-Ilan University, February 23rd, 2006.
