Reactions to Domain Overlap

Abstract

In 1968 the Israeli government began to develop a local, publicly directed, autonomous network of community service centers (Matnas) parallel to the traditional, statutory welfare bureaus. Similar claims made by both organizations overpopulation, needs, and services to be implemented caused a domain overlap. This article is based on a long-term observation of such overlap. It describes the case and analyzes the different reactions that evolved. In some places these two organizations managed or were made to coexist. In other settlements domain overlap created a conflict. Reactions to such conflict varied from competition to cooperation, influenced by organizational environments in each settlement. The community and its representatives, local politicians, clients, and professional and lay staff played a critical role in entering such domain overlap and determining the nature and intensity of reactions to it.

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