The Committed: Preliminary Reflections on the Impact of the Kibbutz Socialization Pattern on Adolescents

Abstract

Many educational systems face the problem of socializing the young into patterns of commitment and obligation while at the same time directing them towards social change and innovation rather than conformity or deviancy.l The kibbutz educational system provides us with an example which has succeeded in simultaneously generating value commitment and innovative capacity while minimizing social deviancy and anti-social manifestations. The kibbutz educational system has been defined as being essentially collectively oriented. However, closer examination of this system indicates that structurally it is based on a fusion of collectivistic and indinJidualistic components. In other words, the system establishes some kind of balance between elements which encourage collectivism and those reinforcing individualism. This unique mixture probably explains many of the qualities attributed to the native-born kibbutz members. Certain characteristics of the second and third generations of the kibbutz recently have become increasingly salient.2 First, a strong collectivistic value commitment is discernible in their tendency to volunteer for various roles which are central to the society, as well as in their performance in 'routine' career patterns. What is unique to kibbutz youth is that many of them, before entering into specialized occupations in their kibbutz or outside of it, serve an additional year in national service, such as in border settlements, developing towns or youth movements. To some degree, their participation in these activities indicates a pragmatic value commitment, that is, the tendency to translate value orientaiions into concrete roles and actions. In other