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 language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 551-572 |
Number of pages | 22 |
Journal | New Media and Society |
Volume | 8 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 2006 |
Keywords
- Collectivism
- Community
- Cultural biography
- Dilemmas
- Ideology
- Israel
- Kibbutz
- Privatization
- Telephone
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Communication
- Sociology and Political Science