Search

For the sociologist, adaptation refers to the cultural traits and complexes that represent a society's adjustment to its physical environment and enable it to survive. This paper is intended to present research findings among farm operators of the Amish religious community in Coles, Douglas, and Moultrie counties of east central Illinois regarding the group's adaptive responses to socio-economic trends of the larger society. The approach of the discussion is to view Amish farm management strategy as an adaptive device in relation to the ongoing problem of social and economic viability.

The conflict over educational policy between several religions societies and state departments of education has received widespread attention. Public school officials are inclined to view the problem administratively as one of law enforcement. The religions group views the problem in moral and religions terms. Lawyers interpret the conflict in legal categories. Citizens of the region often view the conflict as a contest between the older and newer sentiments of the community. Although the particulars of the conflict in the various states are important to any analysis, we have chosen to view the problem anthropologically, that is, in the context of the culture. Recognizing that there are many factors related to cohesion, such as theology, creativity in producing literature, or leadership, our concern here is the interplay of the indigenous socialization patterns with the non-indigenous in the strain for survival. How are the young prepared for adult responsibility in the two most self-contained surviving Anabaptist groups, the Hutterites and the Amish, and what aspects of secular education have they incorporated into their society, and with what success or failure? What is there about the internal structure of these groups that enables them to make adaptations without being absorbed into the dominant society? Of these two Germarde Anabaptist groups, one is strictly eommunal and the other familistic. We will compare the social structure, control over the socialization process, and assimilation patterns of the two "little" societies. The generalizations in this paper derive from field work on two research projects (Hostetler, 1965; 1969). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Epsilon Generalization can consistently define the borders and core region of a noncontiguous community. The Nappanee, Indiana, Amish area is used to demonstrate the technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the Swiss and German origins of the Amish Mennonites, the early history of the sect, its dissolution in Europe, and its survival in America. Survival in the New World is attributed to the perpetual sectarian conflict between the parental group and the subsect, the emergence of a consciousness of difference from the world—expressed in costume and other traditions, and community association and proximity never realized on the Continent on account of differing landholding systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]