What is it about?
Communitarian societies are hard pressed to protect their autonomy while adjusting to the changing international society. This article examines the ways in which two of the most enduring examples of collective agriculture and communal living, the kibbutz communities of Israel and the colonies of Hutterian Brethren in North America, are adapting to the pressures of the external society in order to retain their cultural integrity. These communities have two important things in common: a dedication to the principles of communal property and communal living, and making a living by operating large, diversified agricultural enterprises. Their survival depends on maintaining a certain distance from the surrounding societies and their prevailing individualistic organization.
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Why is it important?
In the XXI century, communitarian societies around the world are creating the basis for the alternative societies that we need to face today's multiple economic and environmental crises.
Perspectives
The original basis for this research was a conviction that communitarian societies offer viable examples of how to build a better world. The Israeli experience since this analysis was conducted demonstrates the power of capitalist forces to undermine this idealistic foundation.
Dr David Barkin
Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Kibbutz and Colony: Collective Economies and the Outside World, Comparative Studies in Society and History, September 1972, Cambridge University Press,
DOI: 10.1017/s0010417500006800.
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