Tridimensional Contemporary Trends in Kibbutzim and Moshavim

Abstract The profound transformation of the hityashvut ovedet (Labor Settlement) movement following the privatization processes of the late twentieth century has been extensively addressed in the literature. Most research has focused on the movement's organizational dimension, examining which practices the settlement continues to employ post-privatization. This introductory article seeks to expand this perspective by utilizing Erving Goffman's theory of ‘total institutions,’ which conceptualizes institutions as founded upon three pillars: organization, space, and community. This article points out that while the vast majority of kibbutzim and moshavim underwent an organizational privatization process, these settlements’ spatial and communal dimensions were transformed in varied ways. Consequently, in settlements that maintain geographical boundaries that distinguish them from their surroundings, and in those that have managed to preserve a unique sociocommunal mix, the moshav and kibbutz continue to sustain a distinct sociocultural way of life despite the organizational privatization.