by Julia C. Reischel

A sociology Ph.D. candidate from Brandeis is recruiting interview subjects in Davis Square to study the effect of diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds on the formation of identity.

“I’m really interested in how people negotiate the different aspects of their identities,” said Rachel L. Rockenmacher at Feb. 4 contributors meeting of  The Somerville News.

Rockenmacher said she is conducting in-depth interviews with young adults between the ages of 18 and 22 who have one Jewish parent.

She said she is asking questions, which explore what happens when there is cultural dissension within families.

“As people grow up, they make their own choices and think about who they are on their own,” she said. “I’m looking at how people negotiate cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds—at how tangled that can be.”

Unlike most other studies of this material, Rockenmacher’s project approaches her subjects qualitatively rather than quantitatively. Quantitative research relies on measurements derived sources such as surveys. Qualitative research is more focused, and relies on detailed anecdotal evidence, she said.

“There’s been so little research of this type on ethnic identity and mixed-ness,” she said. “Most literature on Jewish identity presumes that it’s an either-or choice.”

Rockenmacher’s goal is to explore in detail the nuances of individual racial, ethnic and religious identities, she said.

The inspiration for the study comes from Rockenmacher’s experience as a high school teacher in Springfield, Vt., where she taught social studies. After college, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in French literature and a minor in comparative education, Rochenmacher decided to pursue a teaching career, she said.

“Everyone else was becoming investment bankers, while I was really into education and public schooling,” she said.

Rockenmacher was particularly curious about the relationships between parents and teachers, especially when complicated by complex ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds, she said.

After teaching, Rockenmacher said she moved to Somerville, where she lived for six years. Though she now lives in Medford, Somerville is still central to her life. She is often in Davis Square recruiting subjects while her husband, a street musician and stay-at-home dad, meets with other musicians and parents in the Someday Café. 

Rockenmacher has found Somerville a rich source for research, she said. “A lot of people in study are from Somerville. I’ve left flyers around the squares—the cafes are an especially good place to get people.”

The are different reasons why is Somerville such a good place to study the complexity of identity, she said.

Rockenmacher said first of all, there are many college students who are the right age and are eager to talk about their families.

The city is home to an extremely diverse population that Rockenmacher said she thinks might be more conducive to mixedness than other communities.

“I think there might be a higher level of acceptance here than in other areas,” she said.

Rachel L. Rockenmacher is still interviewing subjects, and can be reached at 781-396-4938 or by email at rockenmacher@brandeis.edu.