Engaging complex diversity in academic institution: The case of "triple periphery" in a context of a divided society

This research examines how faculty members working in complex sociopolitical context cope with campus diversity. Through 20 focus groups comprised of faculty members representing all of the departments at one academic institution, we investigated the participants' experiences with student diversity. The findings show that the protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict seeps into classroom interactions. This infiltration of the protracted conflict is particularly salient during escalations of the conflict. The participants feel they are unable to address these difficulties, experience isolation, fear, and a lack of support. The study expands understanding of how employees cope with political tensions in a real-life setting.