MSU Sociology welcomes Vilitcia Barghouti as incoming doctoral student

July 14, 2020

Please join us in welcoming Vilitcia Barghouti as part of the Fall 2020 incoming doctoral class.

BIOGRAPHY
Vilitcia Barghouti is a Palestinian Journalist whose published writing in Arabic covers a range of political, social, and cultural issues that concern Palestinian society. Some of her Professional Arabic writing published in refereed academic journals such as the Journal for Palestinian Studies, Maarif Journal for Researches' and Studies.  Other journalism articles published in “Al-Baidar” newspaper, the “Voice of Women,” and the “Civilized Dialogue.”

Barghouti has extensive work experience with the governmental sector in Palestine, such as with the Ministry of Local Government, the Ministry of Information, and the Land Authority. She also has broad work experience with the nongovernmental sector in Palestine, such as with the Center for Development Studies, Save the Children, and the Secretariat of the National Plan for the Palestinian Child.  In addition to work experience at educational institutions in both Palestine and the USA, such as with Birzeit University (Palestine), Al-Quds University (Palestine), Michigan State University (USA), and Western Michigan University (USA).  


CURRENT RESEARCH
Briefly, Barghouti's recent research interests include three main areas. The first area is the health and environmental impacts of unregulated chemical and toxic industrial sites and processes. The effect of the Israeli "Industrial Project" on Palestinian life, health, society, and the environment has been significant in various places in Palestine with measurable statistics related to cancer and mortality rates and, in turn, reduced life expectancies.

Second, she is interested in examining Marx's theory of alienation among Palestinian temporary "day" workers inside Israel; her focus is exploring whether such work with the "capitalist" state of Israel causes a double "alienation" inside the worker "being."  The analysis of alienation will mainly build upon Marx's account of "species being" and its relevance to his theory of "Human Nature."

Finally, Barghouti also is developing her research on the social and political connotations of the Veil (Al Hijab) in Palestine, especially under the Israeli Occupation. Reviewing many pieces of literature on the Veil and the traditional clothing in the Middle East reveals a strong correlation between the Veil and the rise of the Islamic discourses under colonial powers, especially in the late 19th through to the 20th century.  Literature shows that some countries in the Middle East witnessed three alternating waves of changes in women's clothing styles: "Veiling," then "Unveiling, then "Veiling" again. Those waves occurred either to respond to political demands or to emphasize local cultural and social identity.