Affective Expression in Kibbutz-Communal, Kibbutz-Familial, and City-raised Children in Israel

Abstract

REGEV, ELIAHU; BEIT-HALLAHMI, BENJAMIN; and SHARABANY, RUTH. Affective Expression in Kibbutz-Communal, Kibbutz-Familial, and City-raised Children in Israel. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1980, 51, 232-237. The hypothesis that children who are raised in the kibbutz, in a socialization system characterized by multiple mothering and communal upbringing with peers, will show overall moderated affective expression toward significant figures was tested by using the Family Relations Test. 3 groups of 60 children each, ranging in age from 8 to 11 years, were tested. The 3 groups consisted of kibbutz children who were raised communally, with peers; kibbutz children raised in families; and city children in traditional families. The results showed that communally raised children were significantly lower on positive affective expression compared with the other 2 groups, thus supporting the moderation hypothesis. The communally raised children expressed the most negativity of the 3 groups toward nonfamily figures but the least negativity toward familial figures. Kibbutz children raised in families were similar to children from traditional families on some measurements and occupied an intermediate position, between kibbutz-communal and traditional, on other measurements.