Dr. Nur Kassem

Nur Kassem is a Ph.D. student at the Social Cognitive Lab and the PICR Lab (The Psychology of Intergroup Conflict and Reconciliation), Department of Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem.  Her research focuses on the emotional experiences of disadvantaged group members in environments dominated by advantaged groups. Nur explores various aspects, including the interplay between language and emotion, intragroup empathy, intergenerational trauma, and resilience.

At her term at the Polonsky Academy Nur is planning to conduct research titled Pathways to Resilience and Reconciliation: Intervention Content and Provider’s Social Identity that will examine resilience and reconciliation - with a focus on the Palestinian minority in Israel. While Nur's primary focus is on the experiences of disadvantaged group members, she will also analyze the reciprocal benefits that advantaged group members may gain from fostering a tolerant environment. Examining the reciprocal benefits is significant because social groups often prefer to preserve resources such as empathy and acknowledgment within their own boundaries. The generalizability of the research is extended by employing a multi-method research design across diverse contexts. Future directions include expanding this work to additional disadvantaged populations in both ongoing violence and post-violence societies that continue to face power disparities