Superego processes in a collective society: the Israeli kibbutz

An attempt has been made to examine some aspects of cultural conformity and superego development in the Israeli Kibbutz. The basic premise has been that in a collective society, such as the kibbutz, with its multiple child-caretakers, we find a superego based on internalized values rather than introjected specific figures--a collective superego. The result is a shame- as opposed to a guilt-oriented conscience, with resulting emphasis on the need for the presence of others as controlling forces.