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Since its publication in 1989, The Riddle of Amish Culture has become recognized as a classic work on one of America's most distinctive religious communities. But many changes have occurred within Amish society over the past decade, from westward migrations and a greater familiarity with technology to the dramatic shift away from farming into small business which is transforming Amish culture. For this revised edition, Donald B. Kraybill has taken these recent changes into account, incorporating new demographic research and new interviews he has conducted among the Amish. In addition, he includes a new chapter describing Amish recreation and social gatherings, and he applies the concept of "social capital" to his sensitive and penetrating interpretation of how the Amish have preserved their social networks and the solidarity of their community.
- Sales Rank: #1805266 in Books
- Brand: Brand: The Johns Hopkins University Press
- Published on: 2001-09-27
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.00" h x 1.27" w x 6.00" l, 1.57 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 424 pages
Features
- Used Book in Good Condition
Review
This book is a perfect tool for introducing undergraduates to sociological analysis. Kraybill skillfully depicts an intriguing world that promotes collectivism against the dominant individualism. We come to understand how Amish life makes sense to those who adhere to it.
(Michèle Lamont Christian Century)
Beyond the tour buses and stereotypes lies the complex reality of Amish life. In this welcome update of a classic study, Donald B. Kraybill explores with deep insight and solid research the fascinating ways this fast-growing traditional community negotiates its evolving relationship with a modern world of business, tourism, shopping malls, and roller blades. No dry academic book, this beautifully written work exudes the juices of lived experience and conveys its author's profound respect for, and understanding of, Amish life.
(Paul Boyer, Editor-in-Chief, The Oxford Companion to United States History)
Carefully crafted, richly nuanced and accessible to both the informed reader and the novice, Donald Kraybill has once again produced a remarkably clear and meticulous study of one of North America's most intriguing religious minorities. The Riddle of Amish Culture opens a window into the complex reality of Amish society that crisscrosses the postmodern, modern, and traditional worlds.
(Thomas J. Meyers, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology, Goshen College, Goshen Indiana)
Donald Kraybill has written a brilliant exposition of Amish life. A sociological tour de force and must-read for those who wish to understand Amish culture.
(Peter Ester, Professor of Sociology, Tilburg University, The Netherlands)
I cannot think of a better way to introduce students to the richness of Amish life. The Riddle of Amish Culture takes the reader into the intricacies of Amish life and culture. Kraybill frames his rich narrative description with sophisticated analysis. While thoroughly accessible, Kraybill's book never insults the reader's intelligence. His treatment of Amish life resists stereotypes. In fact, he routinely explodes them.
(Stephen C. Ainlay, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of the College, and Professor of Sociology, College of the Holy Cross)
The Riddle of Amish Culture is essential reading for anyone who wants to unlock the 'mystery' of a fascinating people whose simple, community oriented ways have much to teach us. Professor Kraybill's extremely informative book is a valuable resource, every semester in my classes for teachers.
(Ed Daniels, Lecturer, Stony Brook University, National Board Certified Teacher)
Kraybill moves seamlessly between the fascinating details of Amish life and the meaning of modernity, illuminating both as he informs and provokes in the best tradition of accessible scholarship. [His] masterful analysis of Amish life provides the perfect springboard for students to explore the meaning of modernity and to question the assumptions of their own culture.
(Marc Olshan, Professor of Sociology, Alfred University)
Kraybill's masterful analysis of Amish life provides the perfect springboard for students to explore the meaning of modernity and to question the assumptions of their own culture.
(Marc Olshan, Professor of Sociology, Alfred University)
Kraybill's study of the Lancaster Amish community is an excellent introduction to the Old Order world for both students and general readers. He enables us to see the Amish not as leftovers from the past, but as 21st century people whose confrontation with modernity is guided by the same devotion to religious principles that marked their ancestors as radicals. This book helps us solve the riddles of Old Order society.
(Karen Johnson-Weiner, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, SUNY Potsdam)
Students of human nature and those baffled by the seeming inconsistencies of Amish culture will find compelling explanation in Donald Kraybill's The Riddle of Amish Culture. In the new research on youth groups, Kraybill explains how a time of testing the limits and tasting the fruits of worldliness in adolescence has a 'redeeming function.'.
(D. R. Elder, Professor of Humanities, The Ohio State University-ATI)
The well documented book is an excellent field trip. It includes informative chapters, excellent notes, thorough bibliography all presented with clarity and correctness.
(Richard Rouillard, Professor of English, Oklahoma City Community College)
From the Publisher
"The riddle of Amish culture in America is: how does it continue to dramatically prosper while unilaterally resisting the very core of mainstream American prosperity—technology? The surprising answer—adaptation and compromise—is given in loving detail in this great book."—Whole Earth Review
"Kraybill relies on his own and others' research, as well as on personal interviews with Amish men and women. The resulting book is a hybrid—written in a non-academic style that is appealing to the general reader who wishes to learn more about these unusual Americans, but also exploring the Amish in scholarly depth."—Philadelphia Inquirer
"A sophisticated portrayal of the apparently simple but actually very complex Amish . . . A well-illustrated guide, this work gives loving but unsentimental attention to the precarious culture under examination."—Christian Century
About the Author
Donald B. Kraybill is Distinguished College Professor and Senior Fellow in the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College, Pennsylvania. Widely recognized for his work on Anabaptist groups, he has authored and edited many books, including The Riddle of Amish Culture and The Amish and the State, both available from Johns Hopkins.
Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
Engaging study of Amish relevance
By Paolo & Francesca
I couldn't have found a better book to introduce me to the Amish in America. Professor Kraybill's book is detailed, well organized, insightful, and well written. He illuminates Amish customs, beliefs, culture, and the ways the group has changed over the years. He answers the question, despite their peculiarity and restrictions on individual freedom, why have the Amish survived and thrived in modern times? High birthrates and low attrition have caused the Amish population to grow exponentially in the last century. Their venture into business, work ethic, and ability to adapt modern technology without compromising their values have enabled them to thrive financially. Most Amish are better off financially than moderns because they have a low cost of living, lots of help from friends and neighbors, and equity in the form of land passed down to them. Modern people have to deal with student debt, keeping up with consumer trends, maintaining an adequate wardrobe, high transportation and housing costs, high healthcare costs, etc. etc. Professor Kraybill emphasizes the benefits of Amish culture but also thoughtfully addresses the criticisms of Amish culture.
Even though Amish culture seems complicated with many rules and restrictions and confusing compromises, a few defining values guide their lifestyle. The first is the value of community over individualism. In Amish society, individual needs are subsumed to those of the community. The pursuit of personal achievements, higher education, artistic expression, and freedom of dress, occupation, and gender roles are curtailed in Amish society. But the individual receives many benefits from the community such as a sense of identity in a clearly defined culture; the closeness and support of family, neighbors, and church; a lifestyle that integrates work and home. The Amish value of humility explains their plain dress, their hard work ethic, and their eschewal of conspicuous consumption or anything that displays wealth or status. Even though some Amish may be very wealthy, they maintain equality in the community by using the same form of horse and buggy transportation, the same dress, and relatively modest furnishings in the home. Although trying to distinguish oneself through wealth, power, education is not allowed, the Amish also do not have members who are neglected or left in poverty. The sick and the elderly are cared for at home, and children are educated near the home, and those who experience hardship are given mutual aid.
The Amish seem strict in their rejection of technology but they have actually been very saavy in adapting to modernity. Technologies that enhance productivity have been adopted. Even though grid-powered electricity is not allowed, the Amish have adopted diesel powered engines, natural gas for heat and cooking, and air pressure powered appliances. Even solar and wind power are coming into use in the community. Modern furnishings, plumbing, use of medicines have made modern Amish life much more comfortable than in previous eras. What the Amish has preserved is their own education, religion, values, and sense of simplicity, equality, and community.
What would have made the book better is more case studies and more discussion of the drawbacks of Amish life. The Amish admirably avoids many of the ills of modern society. My feeling though, is that gender equality is absent in Amish culture, and they have no way of dealing with gay or transgendered individuals. What about the practice of shunning people who do not conform? Denying children the pursuit of learning or occupation of their choice, confining women to the home and raising large families, are rather problematic. A more honest discussion of these topics would have been good.
I really appreciated the discussion of Amish culture's relevance to modern society in the last chapter. The Amish serve as a foil to our individualistic and materialistic society. It helps us compare what works and what doesn't. Despite not having modern conveniences and personal choice, the Amish have high quality lifestyles where crime is low, divorce is low, poverty is low. While ambitious people would feel oppressed in Amish society, regular people also do not have to struggle so hard to have a basic standard of living. Their willingness to stay close to home has helped them build social and material capital over generations. The choice of the Amish to remain true to their traditional values is ironically modern because they understand what modernity offers them and have chosen another way. They are an important group to help us understand ourselves as much as they are fascinating on their own.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
Thorough, expert description
By bookaddict
This is an extensive treatment of many questions relating to Amish culture by one of this country's foremost experts. It places the Amish in the historical context of the Anabaptist movement in Europe and covers differences in Mennonite and Amish communities in this country, although it focuses on the Lancaster Amish with whom Kraybill has worked most extensively. Kraybill uses sociological principles to explain practices that might seem inconsistent or contradictory; thus, he makes sense of the apparent riddles. I live in Amish country and found that this very informative book answered the questions I had developed over the years. The book would be especially interesting to those already interested in the Amish culture, but most Americans would benefit from some consideration of the value of living apart from the world with a focus on family, faith, and community as opposed to our obsession with materialism and individualism. Although it is more work to read a scholarly book like this, I think it is much more balanced and informative than some of the popular memoirs written by a single individual who has left the Amish community.
Note that this book has photographs and several diagrams and tables that are hard to view on the original Kindle. On the other hand, reading it on a Kindle makes it easy to search for important terms and historical facts presented earlier--important in an long book if you read it over several weeks, as I did.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
Best book on the subject. No contest. Read this if you want to understand Amish culture.
By Aisling D.
If you're trying to make sense of a complex culture, especially if you expected it to be plain and simple, this is the book to read. I've bought (and read) many books related to the Amish, but nothing else matches this book for a thorough and in-depth picture of what makes them like us... and very different, too.
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