Book

Spatial behavior of the Old Order Amish of Nappanee, Indiana

University of Michigan, Department of Geography • (18) • Published In 1976 • Pages: xx, 218

By: Rechlin, Alice T. M. (Alice Theodora Merten).

Abstract

This source which appears to be a thesis revision examines the hypothesis that a minority group such as the Old Order Amish of Nappanee, Indiana, will maximize their interactions with members of their group through their spatial ararngements in the community while reducing contacts with outsiders. The author first makes a general distinction between groups whose isolation is self-imposed and those whose separation is forced on them due to their minority status. She then outlines Amish history, including the origins of the Nappanee settlement, and compares the Old Order Amish with other Amish and Mennonites with respect to the use of public facilities, electricity and motorization while also noting various inconsistencies among the different sects in the use of modern conveniences. Next, the epsilon technique which is used to define the boundaries of a settlement is explained. Old Order Amish interviewers were used to collect responses to a lengthy questionnaire from members of their own community. The results of these interviews and of interviews with a non-Amish control group are compared for statistical significance. The author considers the extent to which the Nappanee Amish participate in the common American culture by examining their self-reliance in such activities as food shopping and production, the use of homemade versus ready-made clothing, the dependence on medical, legal, banking, laundry and educational facilities as well as their reading habits. The travel distances for business and social occasions on the part of the Amish and control group are also calculated. To measure their level of world consciousness, respondents were asked to identify world, state and local leaders and to pinpoint national issues. Interviewees were also rated on their abilities to locate on a map places that were thought to be more or less familiar. That the Nappanee Amish do engage in introspective social and spatial behavior is not surprising, though the application of a mathematical geography technique to draw this conclusion may be of interest.

HRAF PubDate

2019

Region

North America

Sub Region

Regional, Ethnic and Diaspora Cultures

Document Type

Book

Evaluation

Creator Type

Geographer

Document Rating

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

Delores Walters ; Richard Wagner ; 1987

Field Date

summer of 1968

Notes

Alice Theodora Merten Rechlin

Includes bibliographical references

LCCN

77621924

LCSH

Amish