This interpretive study examines the Muntada organization and its participants from both a broad feminist perspective and a participatory research stance. My results are based upon 7 ½ weeks of field research conducted in Israel, divided between among Haifa, a seaside port city which also served as the site of Muntada's organizational office and training center, as well as other northern cities and small Palestinian-Israeli Arab communities. The research design includes a basket of ethnographic tools such as indepth interviews, participant observation, and participatory sketching workshops involving a total of 50 respondents and over 100 hours of observation. My findings are 4 based upon the interactions and narratives I co-constructed with current members of the Muntada, professionals and community members participating in Muntada activities, and outside individuals addressing issues of sexuality and sexual health within the Palestinian-Israeli Arab community.
My findings illuminate how the Muntada's approach to sexuality and sexual health education provides an opportunity to examine the role of dialogue and identity (re)construction in social change processes. In addition, my findings suggest that such an approach to sexual health promotes individual growth and change for participants as well as the overall well-being of the larger Palestinian-Israeli Arab community. This research also addresses the important role that words and language, more specifically the Arabic language, play within the (re)identification process of individuals within the larger community, and how these linguistic elements are intertwined with themes of power, politics, and social change. This dissertation provides an introduction to understanding some of the complex and potentially painful processes that undergird a participatory approach to sexual health education.