The earliest memory in individuals raised in either traditional and reformed kibbutz or outside the kibbutz

In two studies we compared the age of traditional kibbutz members' first memories with the first memories of people raised in Israeli cities (Study 1) and of people who were raised in reformed kibbutzim (Study 2). Building on the socio-cultural model of autobiographical memory, we predicted and found that children raised in the traditional kibbutz, not by their parents, but by a metapelet, had a significantly later onset of autobiographical memory than children raised in reformed kibbutzim or outside the kibbutz, who were under the primary care of their parents. We also examined gender differences in reporting the earliest memory. No gender differences were observed within each setting in the age of the earliest memory, but consistent with past research, memories reported by females were more elaborate than those reported by males.     

Gender and health on the kibbutz

Gender differences in health status and illness behavior have been explained in terms of sex roles and gender-related personality traits. It may be hypothesized that in a community that is committed to gender-negating ideology, where men and women alike participate in public life, and housework and child care largely collectivized, gender health differences will disappear. The kibbutz movement is committed to the ideology of the emancipation of women: women fully participate in the labor force and decision making. Nonetheless, women on the kibbutz are responsible for the housework and are concentrated in feminine occupations. The kibbutz, then, allows us to test the relationship between gender ideology and participation in public life vs. gender roles and tasks, and health. The health behavior, health status, and illness behavior of 230 members of two kibbutzim, one religious and one secular, were studied. Men and women report similar health status and illness behavior; parental status is not related to health; and marital status is related to psychological distress only. Similar patterns were observed for the secular kibbutz and the religious one despite the more traditional division of labor in the latter.Medical student, supported by the National Fund for Medical Education, 35 Kneeland Street, Boston, MA 02111.     

Brief therapy in the Israeli kibbutz

Analysis of results of therapy in an unselected sample of 211 kibbutz patients seen over a three year period by the author in his capacity as kibbutz member and psychiatrist indicated that over 70% of the identified patients responded very satisfactorily to brief therapy. About one-third of the clients did not need more than a single comprehensive therapy session to achieve continuous improvement. In a minority of the cases more than 10 sessions were required. The results were significantly better in cases treated by brief therapy than in the sample treated by long-term therapy, where the pre-treatment severity was determined to be greater. The paper describes the unique aspects of brief therapy in the kibbutz setting, giving an outline of the author's model of intervention, using all components of the individual, family, and community ecosystem.     

Divorce in the kibbutz: Past and present

In the kibbutz today, there are no ideological or economic barriers to prevent a couple from deciding to divorce. Both husband and wife are assured continued economic security and equal opportunities for co-parenting, thus reducing fears of disruption in the daily contact with the children. In spite of these favorable circumstances, marital breakups in the kibbutz are less frequent than in the larger cities in Israel. In recent years, however, at a time when a stronger and more intensive family life has gained legitimacy within the kibbutz structure, there is a marked tendency toward a rise in the rate of divorce. In this article we analyze the possible causes of the variations in the frequency of divorce within the kibbutz framework.The authors express appreciation to Esther Mivtzari, a psychologist on the staff of the Kibbutz Child and Family Clinic and a member of the religious kibbutz Ein-Tzurim, for assistance in gathering data on divorce in the religious kibbitzum.     

Community care for the kibbutz chronic psychiatric patient

After over 15 years' experience with a very structured community care program for kibbutz chronic psychiatric patients, the author is convinced that these severely disturbed patients show improved psychosocial adjustment and a highly significant reduction in recidivism and rehospitalization as compared to their records before the institution of the community treatment program.1981, Fall     

Community care for the kibbutz chronic psychiatric patient

After over 15 years' experience with a very structured community care program for kibbutz chronic psychiatric patients, the author is convinced that these severely disturbed patients show improved psychosocial adjustment and a highly significant reduction in recidivism and rehospitalization as compared to their records before the institution of the community treatment program.     

Divorce in the kibbutz: Affective responses to separation

This article is part of a comprehensive research project in which the central characteristics of the process of divorce in the kibbutz were examined. It appears that the framework of the kibbutz, free as it is from socio-economic pressures and boundary factors not directly connected with the marital relationship as such, provides an excellent and perhaps unique opportunity to investigate the pure emotional effects of the marital breakup.     

The disintegrative factor in therapeutic groups as illuminated by kibbutz life

This article deals with the way individuals cope with the threat they experience in the framework of psychodynamic group psychotherapy. This threat, which is understood to be a disintegrative threat, is intensified in the therapeutic group. We see the therapeutic group as possessing attributes of a potential space, in which the participants are enabled to process the defense and coping mechanisms intended to preserve the sense of integration. This will be illustrated by the experiences of individuals who grew up in a kibbutz (an Israeli society in which infants were raised with their peer group) and participated in psychodynamic groups.     

Worker equality and adult development: the kibbutz as a developmental model

Adults' social status, particularly their occupations, is a powerful predictor of their level of moral and ego development. This association's inevitability was tested by examining the relationship of personal development with social status among 3 groups of workers. Results showed that kibbutz workers' moral and ego development were not significantly associated with educational, occupational, or social class standing, but that Israeli city and North American workers' moral and ego development were significantly associated with all measures of social status. In further contrast, work complexity was significantly associated with both moral and ego development only for kibbutz workers, suggesting that they engage in jobs that are appropriate to their psychological development without creating social inequality. Implications for developmental theory and workplace research are considered.     

The discourse of thought-disordered schizophrenic children

The conversations of two thought-disordered schizophrenic children and two age- and sex-matched normal children were studied in three different contexts. Cohesive relations and retrieval categories were analyzed. The thought-disordered schizophrenic and normal children demonstrated divergent patterns of discourse. These patterns closely paralleled those previously reported for adults by S. Rochester and J. R. Martin (1979, Crazy talk: A study of the discourse of schizophrenic speakers, New York: Plenum) for schizophrenic and normal adults, although some discrepancies were also observed. Recommendations for future research are offered.     

Emotional availability and attachment representations in kibbutz infants and their mothers.

Three components of the attachment transmission model were examined in 48 kibbutz dyads from 2 kibbutz sleeping arrangements: communal and home-based. Concurrent assessments used the Strange Situation procedure (M. D. Ainsworth, M. C. Blehar, E. Waters, & S. Wall, 1978) for infants' attachment relations, the Adult Attachment Interview (C. George, N. Kaplan, & M. Main, 1985) for mothers' attachment representations, and the Emotional Availability Scales (Z. Biringen, J. L. Robinson, & R. N. Emde, 1993) for emotional availability in the dyads. Security of infants' attachment relations as well as autonomy of mothers' attachment representations were associated with higher emotional availability scores. In addition, significantly poorer emotional availability was found in dyads in which infants were insecurely attached and mothers were nonautonomous. Results also indicate that in the ecology of collective sleeping, the associations between the experience of emotional availability in the dyads and infants' and mothers' attachment may have been disrupted.