Personal Details
Name: Omri Shamir
Work Address: The Department of Public Policy and Administration, Guilford Glazer School of Management,
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel
E-mail: Shamiro1@zahav.net.il
Tel: 972-8-6477903
Education
1999-2003 B.A. (Cum Laude), Behavioral Sciences and Political
Science, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
2003-2007 M.A. (Summa Cum Laude), Public Policy and Administration,
Guilford Glazer School of Management, Ben-Gurion University
of the Negev. Advisor: Guy Ben-Porat, Thesis: "Boycotting for
Sabbath: Political Consumerism as a Political Strategy"
2007 – Present Ph.D Student, Public Policy and Administration, Guilford
Glazer School of Management, Ben-Gurion University of the
Negev. Advisors: Dr. Guy Ben-Porat and Pro. Shlomo Mizrahi,
Thesis: "Political Consumerism Social- Political entrepreneurs
and Public policy in the global era: conceptual framework and case studies in Israel"
Educational activities
2005 – Present Junior Staff, Ben-Gurion University
1) Course teaching:
"Consumerism, Society and Public Policy", MA,
Department of Public Policy and Administration, Ben-
Gurion University.
2) Teaching Assistant - Public Policy and
Administration, Guilford Glazer School of Management, Ben-
Gurion University of the Negev in the following courses:
"Research Methods in Political Sciences", M.A. and B.A.
"Advanced Issues in Israeli Politics", M.A.
"Introduction to International Relations", B.A.
(IDF, Air Force Pilot Academy)
"Research Methods in Political Sciences", B.A.
(IDF, Air Force Pilot Academy)
3) Research Assistant – Dr. Guy Ben-Poart - Collecting and
analyzing data, conducting and analyzing interviews.
4) Research Assistant – Pro. Shlomo Mizrahi – Collecting data and interviews.
Professional Activities
2010- Present- General Secretary, Israel Political Science Association
2010 – Moderator, "Politics-IL" Mailing List
2010 – Present - Research Member, "Religion, Economy and Secularization" Research Group, Van-Leer Institute, Jerusalem
2009 – Present – Research Member, "Sociology of Consumption" Research Network
Awards, Prizes and Fellowships
2000 – Dean's Prize for Excellence in B.A. Studies
2007 – School of Management Dean's Prize for Excellence in M.A. Studies
2007 – 2011 – The "Negev Fellowship" for Exceptional Ph.D Students, Kreitman School of Advanced Graduate Studies, Ben-Gurion University
Scientific Publications
1) Shamir, Omri and Ben-Porat, Guy, 2007, “Boycotting for Sabbath: Religious
Consumerism as a Political Strategy”, Contemporary Politics 13, 1, pp.75-92
2) Ben-Porat, Guy and Shamir, Omri, "From the Parliament to the Market:
Political Consumerism and the fight for Sabbath" in Thomas, Lyn (ed), Religion,
Consumerism and Sustainability: Paradise Lost?,(forthcoming, January 2011),
Palgrave Macmillan Press.
3) Ben-Porat, Guy and Shamir, Omri, "Days of (Un)Rest: Political
Consumerism and the Struggle over the Sabbath", Religion and Politics (forthcoming,
2011)
Presentation of papers at conferences and meetings
1) Omri shamir, 2006, "Boycotting for Sabbath – religious consumerism as Political Strategy" presented at the 2nd Annual Conference for Phd Students in Political science at Haifa University, Israel, January.
2) Omri Shamir and Guy Ben Porat, 2007, "Boycotting for Sabbath – religious consumerism as Political Strategy" presented at Van-Leer Institute, Jerusalem Israel, November.
3) Omri shamir, 2008, "Political Consumerism as Political Participation" presented at the 3rd Annual Conference for PhD Students in Political science at The Hebrew University, Israel, January.
4) Omri Shamir and Guy Ben Porat, 2008, "Boycotting for Sabbath – religious consumerism as Political Strategy" presented at the Annual Conference of the Political Science association in Israel, May.
5) Guy Ben Porat and Omri Shamir, 2008, "Sub-Politics and Political Consumerism in Israel: The Case of the Sabbath", presented at Catholic Academy in Berlin, Germany, June.
6) Omri shamir, 2009, "Political Consumerism in Israel: the struggle between secular and religious on the Sabbath's character in the public sphere", presented at the annual conference of the Sociology association in Israel, February.
7) Omri Shamir, 2009, "Sub-Politics and Political Consumerism in Israel: The Case of the Sabbath", presented at ESA-The European Sociological Association in Lisbon, September.
8) Omri Shamir, 2010, "Sub-Politics and Political Consumerism in Israel: form the parliament to the market", presented at the Annual Conference of the Political Science association in Israel at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzelia, May.
Research Abstract
Social Entrepreneurs, Political Consumerism and Public Policy in the Global Era: Conceptual Framework and Case Studies in Israel
In my research I deals with the phenomena of political consumerism in Israel, while trying to build a conceptual framework that explain the interaction between three players: social-Political entrepreneurs, firms in the market and the state as well as the rationalization behind their strategies. The model start with the basic assumption that entrepreneurs use political consumerism strategies (i.e. boycott and buycott) due to several structural causes: (1) The Israeli government's failure and the rise of alternative politics (2) the rapid development of a consumer society which is influenced by liberalization and global economy (3) cultural changes towards post-material values in the Israeli society. Altogether, these structural factors create a social problem with issues that the government is incapable of designing and creating a coherent and stable public policy.
Based on the above, entrepreneurs appear, identify the problem they are concerned with and look for a solution. At this stage they have two options. The first one - if the level of governability is high and the conventional political channels are open - the entrepreneurs will choose to make a social and political change via the formal channel, affecting public policy from the top. The second one- if the level of governability is relatively low and the conventional channels are blocked, the entrepreneurs will try to achieve this change using political consumerism strategies. The effort to make the social change using these strategies is an example for a social change achieved via "alternative politics" channel. While rises from below, this channel transforms the market into a political arena. The relationship between theses three players: entrepreneurs, businesses and the state are the main focus of my study.
This pioneer research model is examined using several case studies/ campaigns in Israel. These campaigns are divided into two dimensions: the first, the religious-secular dimension where entrepreneurs use political consumerism strategies in the struggle over issues of Sabbath observation in the public sphere. The second, the social-environmental dimension in which entrepreneurs try to make a social and political change concerning the issues of animal rights, workers' rights and fair trade in Israel.