Gender perspective in an urban kibbutz

This case study examines how an urban kibbutz translated socialist ideology of sharing and equality into daily practice, from the community’s establishment in 1987 to 2014. From the beginning, the members of the urban kibbutz have aimed to influence their surrounding environment as well as to redefine the concept of collective life. The research objective is to study the gender characteristics of this socialist community by examining its daily life. In particular, it focuses on gender-related issues, also the research examines the living space of the community and its changing boundaries of public and private spheres. A number of insights evolve from the findings which explain the interactions and negotiations between genders. These processes have created permeable boundaries between the various spheres of collective and private life. As a result, this paper can contribute to the study of small communities that strive for ideological meaning as well as practical existence.