Abstract
The paper deals with the changes in the kibbutz type cooperative settlement in Israel. It is done in the context of the ongoing transformation in the rural space in Israel and other developed economies. The paper introduces the main causes of the drastic changes that followed a mid 1980s economic crisis and the following process of change. The mechanisms and characteristics of the processes of change in the kibbutz movements are discussed emphasizing three major spheres of change: economic functions, management and consumption spheres. The outcome of the cumulative changes is a process of reshaping the kibbutz and its ideological basis. The general direction is toward weaker cooperation, an increased, but still controlled, internal income disparity among members and households, and a change of balance of power between the kibbutz community and its membership. The influence of the individual members on the kibbutz affairs has been weakened, but at the same time their control of their personal affairs has been strengthened. Altogether, the kibbutz communities are adapting to the change but the kibbutz as a unique type of settlement is in search of a new identity.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 103-114 |
| Journal | Analele Universitatii din Craiova, Seria Filosofie |
| Volume | 10 |
| State | Published - 2007 |