“Why the Hell Can’t the System Work Efficiently and Properly?” The Transfer of Business-Oriented Habitus to the Philanthropic and Education Fields in Israel

Abstract

In-depth interviews show how 14 Israeli mega donors transfer business-oriented habitus to the philanthropic and education fields by funding students with high potential for academic and social success—students who promise returns. Such habitus simultaneously subjects the philanthropic field to financial considerations and the education field to instrumental considerations. Instrumental education views education not as a goal in itself but as an investment, whose return will be students’ effective integration into the local and global labor market. Subscribe to JNEL