Kibbutz youth: Recent past and present

The article deals with the changes that have taken place in the kibbutz in recent years, particularly with regard to the family and the social and educational context in which the adolescent lives. These changes, specifically those related to the closer interdependence between parents and children at the expense of the former community predominance, have created a state of transition, with the need for new definition of the spheres of mutual influence of the community, the family, and the individual. Characteristic adolescent problems show distinct differences according to family context, while periodic intergroup youth differences are related to the specific kibbutz sociocultural circumstances in which the adolescent grows up.He specializes in family therapy, particularly in the complex mental health issues that are related to the kibbutz population of all ages. To date, he has published—together with his associates—over 150 articles in professional journals and books dealing with family therapy and with the characteristics of psychiatric problems within the kibbutz context.