From the field phone to the mobile phone: A cultural biography of the telephone in Kibbutz y

Rivka Ribak, Michele Rosenthal

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

In 1989, years after the majority of Israeli city dwellers, the members of Kibbutz Y celebrated the installation of telephones in their apartments. We trace the cultural biography of the telephone in Kibbutz Y, with special emphasis upon the practical and symbolic transition from public to private telephones, in order to discuss the role of deliberation in the adoption of new technologies. The biographical approach permits us to discuss parallel developments in the technology, the kibbutz ideology, the society and the interrelationships between them. The article argues that even within a community where ideology is transparent, such as a kibbutz, contradictions and dilemmas inform users' discourse.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)551-572
Number of pages22
JournalNew Media and Society
Volume8
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2006

Keywords

  • Collectivism
  • Community
  • Cultural biography
  • Dilemmas
  • Ideology
  • Israel
  • Kibbutz
  • Privatization
  • Telephone

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Communication
  • Sociology and Political Science

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'From the field phone to the mobile phone: A cultural biography of the telephone in Kibbutz y'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this