Research Note: The Kibbutz as a Situation for Cross-Cultural Research1

Abstract

It is argued that the kibbutz society comprises a unique combination of similarities and differences with other societies which makes it a fruitful area for cross-cultural research. The similarities lie in the personal characteristics of individuals, in the pattern of relationships between key variables and in some global features of the kibbutz communities. The differences centre upon the principles of organization and the conduct of kibbutz communities. The similarities thus facilitate comparison between kibbutzim and other industrial societies while the differences allow for the expansion of theories and further generalizations and experimentation with alternative solutions to social problems of industrial society. Finally, the paper presents some problems and difficulties in employing the kibbutz as part of cross-cultural research and suggests possible remedies to these problems of comparison.