| Chapter 1: | Introduction |
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Values were studied rather than attitudes or beliefs because, as Milton Rokeach (1973) observed, “A value transcends specific situations,” and is more pivotal to an individual’s belief system. “Values occupy a more central position than attitudes within one’s personality makeup and cognitive system, and they are therefore determinants of attitudes as well as of behavior” (p. 18). We anticipated that the concerns of educators and parents regarding their children’s exposure to popular culture from the Internet—particularly Western or American popular culture—would provide a considerable test for maintaining the values that were being taught both at school and at home.
Computer coordinators, rather than classroom teachers, from the Jerusalem elementary schools were asked to participate because they offered a unique vantage point. As a group, these professionals have a great deal of experience in facilitating the implementation of computer and Internet usage with both classroom teachers and their students while observing the results. Because their central role is enabling access to technology, most computer coordinators are proficient in both the Hebrew and English languages.
Initially, only Mamlachti-Dati coordinators were scheduled to be interviewed, since we anticipated at least 50 coordinators, while in reality, there were significantly fewer. In fact, Rachel Krupel and Yael Avnon, supervisors with the Jerusalem municipality’s Computer Center, suggested that because of the limited number of Mamlachti-Dati state religious coordinators (n = 26) in Jerusalem, Mamlachti state secular coordinators (n = 44) should also be included. We realized this would be a chance to gather a broader range of information and employ the latter’s responses for comparison. It was hoped that our utilization of this opportunity would result in a more in-depth study of Israeli Jewish elementary school Internet access interacting with Jewish values.