Welcome
The Minerva Center on Intersectionality in Aging (MCIA) at the University of Haifa’s Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences was founded in order to initiate an innovative, interdisciplinary, multi-method research and implementation project related to multiply marginalized old persons.
Such marginalization is a consequence of a socially constructed process including ageism, various social and health-related disadvantages, and a lack of balance between needs and rights of this population. Marginalization is manifested by intersectionality within and between, older adult immigrants, old persons with diverse sexual orientations, people with disability, experiencing lifelong abuse, and elderly criminals. The center aims to provide an evidence-based strategy utilizing research-based practice models, training programs, guidance and supervision, related to marginalized and socially excluded older populations.
The Center’s objectives are:
- To enable a better understanding of the unique aspects of social marginalization and ageism in old age and the multiple ways it is internalized by older population groups and social agencies and policy makers.
- To examine the lifelong effect of vulnerability and resilience in an intersectional context.
- To develop a comprehensive model of intersectionality for research and practice on individual, family and societal levels.
- To increase awareness, and develop and distribute knowledge, which can serve as the basis for future intervention models.
- To identify and develop a new generation of graduate students and young researchers with a broad intersectional orientation towards studying marginalization in old age.
- To examine cross-cultural similarities and differences, by adding a comparative component with German academic colleagues.
NEWS
Call for research students
The Minerva Center on Intersectionality in Aging (MCIA) at the University of Haifa’s Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences recruits degree students interested in writing a master’s thesis/doctoral thesis or in a post-doctoral track in the fields related to the health sciences, welfare and economics among the elderly, with an emphasis on the elderly who are on the margins of society, with a multi-system observation and an intersectional view. The center conducts both qualitative and quantitative studies.
Students who wish to receive more information are encouraged to send an orderly application together with an updated CV and a concise explanation of their scientific interests.
The application should be sent to the email: mcia@univ.haifa.ac.il
We are happy to congratulate
MCIA Young Scientist
Ms. Nora Gnaim-Mwassi
On receiving the President’s Award for excellence and innovation in the field of research on “Mental Health and Resilience – Theory and Practice.”
Research Topic:
The experiences of Arab women caregivers, and the significance of caregiving at three different stages in life, with the guidance of Prof. Tova Band-Winterstein and Dr. Hila Avieli.
Prize amount: 150,000 NIS
Announcement: Photography Exhibition Opening at The Sephardic Home for the Aged
We are delighted to invite you to the opening of a special photography exhibition titled “Granny, Tell Me a Story” at The Sephardic Home for the Aged on September 24, 2024, at 17:00. The event will take place in the Lobby “Mountain View” at Gdalyahu St 1, Haifa.
📅 Event Schedule:
- 17:00 – Exhibition Opening and Greetings
- 17:15 – Lecture: “Women Whose Voices Are Heard” by Prof. Tova Band-Winterstein, Head of the Minerva Center of Intersectionality in Aging at the University of Haifa.
We look forward to seeing you there!
On May 29-30, 2024 took place the conference “Narrative Gerontology through an intersectional lens: Research and Practice”
Conference was organized by MCIA in collaboration with Sephardic Home, Haifa
The conference examined the unique contributions of Narrative Gerontology as a paradigm for the study of aging processes and for enhancing the well-being of older adults, through systematic listening to the stories that they tell about themselves, others, and the world.
For more details visit MCIA Conferencies
MCIA Honors Seniours from Ethiopia at Sephardic House
On May 15th, the Minerva Center on Intersectionality in Aging (MCIA) hosted a celebratory event to honor a group of older adults repatriated to Israel from Ethiopia later in life. These remarkable seniors, now attending the Sephardi Home Day Center, received certificates and rewards in gratitude for their participation in MCIA’s research studies.
The MCIA extends heartfelt thanks to the administration of Sephardi House for their continuous support and collaboration. A special acknowledgment goes to Chana Gershman, head of the Day Center, whose dedication and leadership have fostered a nurturing and inclusive environment for all participants.
On March 26, 2024, a personal Board meeting took place at the Minerva Center on Intersectionality in Aging with the management of the Minerva Stiftung, dedicated to the center’s report on the work done from July 2022 to June 2023.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Lou Boulen and Prof. Ulman Lindenberger from the Minerva Stiftung, the PIs of the Minerva Center, under the direction of Prof. Tova Band-Winterstein, and the students of the Center, who talked about their current research projects.
The Center presented partial results of the research on “Visual representation of self among aging women: An intersectional perspective”.
Congratulations to Prof. Tova Band Winterstein, Prof. Zvi Eisikovits, Prof. Aviad Tur-Sinai, Prof. Israel Doron, and Dr. Ksenya Shulyaev, Dr. Abby King on receiving €30,000 to conduct an international workshop on the topic “Older Women Living in Conflictual and War-Ridden Situations: An Intersectional Project” from the Project Funds “European Research Area” of Minerva Centers.
The workshop is scheduled for December 2024 and aims to explore various research foci, including but not limited to:
- Perspectives of war and conflict across the life course of older women
- Impact of war on the physical, mental, and economic health of older women
- International humanitarian law and other legal defense modalities for older women
- Intergenerational dimensions related to war
- Media portrayal of older women in times of war
- Redefining aspects of life such as home, relationships, traditions, and belonging
A portion of this fund will be allocated to seed grants for five young scientists.
Congratulations to Prof Tova Band-Winterstein, Dr Ksenya Shulyaev and Prof. Zvi Eisikovits for acceptance their abstract for an oral presentation at the 2024 IARR conference on July 5-9, 2024 in Boston, MA, USA
https://iarrconferences.com/https://mcia.haifa.ac.il/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Flyer-Fin.jpg
On February 12,2024 MCIA research team had a fruitful meeting aimed at building collaboration with Kishorit – Home For People with Special Needs.
Kishorit was founded in 1997 on the land of Kibbutz Kishor, and it has become a vibrant, developing, and growing Galilean community.
Today, it is home to one hundred and eighty people with a variety of abilities, talents, and passions who have developmental, emotional, and mental health conditions and are defined as adults with special needs.
Together with the growing older population, the population of Kishorit become older and needs scientific support to solve practical problems.
We are happy to congratulate the winners of research grants as part of the The Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences call for applied research on topics related to sword warfare.
Congratulations to Prof. Tova Band-Winterstein, Prof. Hadas Goldbalt, Dr. Pnina Dolberg, Dr. Gabriela Spector-Mersel, Reem Nashef – Hamuda
We are happy to announce that funding of 13,000 euros has been approved on behalf of the Minerva Stiftung Gesellschaft für die Forschung m.b.H for the benefit of the project:
“Visual representation of self among aging women: An intersectional perspective”.
Led by Prof. Tova Band-Winterstein, Prof. Zvi Izikowitz, Dr. Tal Dekal.
Warm congratulations to doctoral student Asmaa Msarwa, whose doctoral thesis on “Between role commitment and abusive behavior: unmarried girls caring for elderly parents in the Arab family – an intergenerational perspective” won the President’s Scholarship for Scientific Excellence and Innovation under guidance as part of the mission of the Minerva Center on Intersectionality in Ageing (MCIA).
* Call for proposals -DL June 1st
We are happy to announce the winning of a research grant for the purchase of 6 aging simulation suits and equipment
A loan on behalf of the Minerva Foundation.
As far as we know, there are no similar suits for research purposes in Israel, and we believe that these suits will make it possible to conduct innovative and advanced research.
We are happy to announce that the Minerva Center on Intersectionality in Aging has received funding of NIS 292,000 in cooperation with the Tramp Institute “Beit Izzi Shapira”.
Subject: Aging with a disability
Led by Prof. Tova Band- Winterstein, Prof. Issi Doron
The Department of Gerontology welcomes another graduate in the PhD program:
Dr. Rahma Mahamid – Rahma’s research work was on the topic: Growing old in the shadow of long-standing intimate violence in Arab society: a multigenerational female perspective.
Under the guidance of Prof. Tova Band-Winterstein
Naamat congratulates the doctoral students receiving the research grants for the year 2018.
Congratulations to our researcher Rahma Mahamid.
