Dialogical Deconversion: Understanding Undercover Infidelity

Abstract

This article examines the process of departure or “deconversion” from Ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Judaism of young men in Israel. Deconversion describes the progression of abandoning a faith community and the difficulties involved. It is dialogical because it describes an interaction between the individual, his position, and the Haredi structure that seeks to speak in one authoritarian voice. Dialogical theory leans on the work by early 20th century Russian literature scholar Mikhail Bakhtin, which was later adopted by social psychologists, literature scholars, and social and cultural anthropologists and sociologists. I introduce the reader to the figured world of Haredi Judaism, its intensity, religiosity, and the way young men interviewed struggle with living a life they do not believe in and subsequently negotiate their way out.