You Had to Do It That Way: Constraints on Marital, Sexual, and Reproductive Self-Determination among New York's Charedi Jews

At Radcliffe, I will be writing a sole-authored book and multiple co-authored articles about marital, sexual, and reproductive self-determination among Orthodox Jews in the NYC area, drawing on qualitative research conducted in 2023–2024. In addition to providing a rigorous, conceptually grounded, and compassionate analysis of forms of suffering that have been the focus of sensational media accounts, the book speaks to key questions in post-carceral and post-colonial feminism and will advance understanding of “forced marriage” as a social problem.

The Radcliffe Research Partners will help code and analyze qualitative data and conduct literature reviews on topics related to the book. They will also collect and analyze media and popular culture related to gender, sexuality, reproduction, marriage, and family-building among Orthodox Jews, gather and synthesize secondary source material about a range of NYC political and social institutions, and support a law review paper about the weaponization of family law as a form of domestic violence. Students will meet weekly with the research team to present progress on work. This offers a mentored opportunity to hone research and publication skills in a policy-engaged interdisciplinary social scientific project.