Date of Award

2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Graham, Steven

Area of Concentration

Psychology

Abstract

The topic of Jewish conversion has remained virtually unstudied within the psychology of religion, especially within the context of antisemitism. In this study, 272 participants were given several scales that measured experiences of antisemitism, ethnic identity, religious and generalized demographics, and, if applicable, shame regarding their status as a convert. The data showed that converts do not experience antisemitism differently than born-Jews, that regionally, the South and West have higher ratings of antisemitism than the Mid-Atlantic and Mid-West, that congregation size was not related to severity of the experiences of antisemitism or convert shame, and that higher levels of convert shame was positively correlated with more severe experiences of antisemitism. This study is a first step in this niche of the psychology of religion, with intent for it to be used as a launching point for future studies.

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