Research on Negev Bedouin Society:
Research on the Negev Bedouins can be divided into three broad categories:
(1) Research published in academic journals by independent researchers, from several academic institutions, on various topics related to Bedouin society. In the last 10 years, 166 academic articles have been published in international journals on Bedouin society in the Negev.
(2) Reports published by various Israeli research institutes focusing on Arab society and including a brief account of Negev Bedouins as a subgroup of Arab society in Israel. For example, the report “Arab Society in Israel”, which was published by the Abraham Fund in 2009, and “Arab Society in Israel: Population, Society, Economy”, published by the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute in 2015. (3) Finally, various research institutes have published In-depth reports on Bedouin society in the Negev. For example, in 2017 two in-depth reports were published on the Negev Bedouins: “The Bedouins in Israel: Facts and Figures” by the Meyers-Joint-Brookdale Institute, and “Bedouin Education in the Negev” by the Knesset Research and Information Center. While such reports provide valuable information on the Negev Bedouins, it is important to note that they are published infrequently and unsystematically.
The Center for Bedouin Studies and Development at Ben Gurion University was founded in 1998 and closed in 2015. The Center’s activities included supporting higher education among the Negev Bedouins, promoting research on Negev Bedouin society, organizing academic conferences and seminars on topics that are important to Bedouin society, and increasing public awareness regarding the challenges that Negev Bedouin society faces. Today, there is no institute which systematically raises awareness to educational issues which influence and preoccupy Negev Bedouin society.
concentration and accessibility:
Given that research on education in Negev Bedouin society is currently being conducted independently by numerous researchers and organizations, it is important that there by a research unit which will gather existing educational research together and make it accessible to government ministries, policy makers, organizations, academics, and the general public. In addition, it is important that there be a research institute that raises focal educational issues which preoccupy Bedouin society to public awareness through in-depth applied research. Specifically, there is a need for studies on Negev Bedouin education that include collection and analysis of data on various crucial topics, discuss their meaning and implications, and provide practical recommendations, as a significant source of information to be used by educational policy makers.
These publications can provide a basis for educational decisions and policies concerning Negev Bedouins in order to promote research-based practice.
To conduct applied research on various aspects of Negev Bedouin education, including a discussion of the studies’ implications and applied recommendations in terms of policy
To conduct applied research on various aspects of Negev Bedouin education, including a discussion of the studies’ implications and applied recommendations in terms of policy
To actively raise public awareness (government offices, policy makers, relevant organizations, and the general public) regarding educational issues that are important to Negev Bedouin society
4. To make existing information about education in Negev Bedouin society accessible to government offices, policy makers, relevant organizations, and the general public in Israel and abroad
Applied research on central topics related to education in Negev Bedouin society
Publishing reports based on literature reviews and data analysis on educational issues that are important to Negev Bedouin society, including a discussion of implications and practical recommendations
An annual conference on different aspects of education in Negev Bedouin society for researchers, policy makers, and educators
