Economic Pressures Resulting from Aging of Kibbutz Society

The kibbutz began among young people who shared labor to attain communal, subsistence-level life: few were non-productive. The founders aged, produced children, and became dependent, reducing the proportion of workers. Commitments to kibbutz self-sufficiency and lifelong support for members seemed to conflict, as only a role in the external economy offered means to support the non-productive. Ideological goals have not been altered, however, although economic means have changed in order to accomplish both goals