Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies: Volume 2, Issue 1 (April 2014)

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https://kb.osu.edu/handle/1811/59663

Issue DOI: https://doi.org/10.18061/1811/59663

Front Matter
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Amish Economic Transformations: New Forms of Income and Wealth Distribution in a Traditionally "Flat" Community
Moledina, Amyaz; McConnell, David; Sugars, Stephanie; Connor, Bailey pp. 1-22
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The Amish-A People of Preservation and Profitability: A Look at the Amish Industry in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Harasta, Joseph pp. 23-41
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Amish Workarounds: Toward a Dynamic, Contextualized View of Technology Use
Ems, Lindsay pp. 42-58
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Transport Practices in Amish Communities
Warren, James; Enoch, Marcus pp. 59-78
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Horse and Buggy Crash Studies
I. Common Crash Scenarios between a Motor Vehicle and the Amish / Old Order Mennonite Horse and Buggy
Anderson, Cory pp. 79-99
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II. Overstretching the Slow-Moving Vehicle Emblem's Abilities: Lessons from the Swartzentruber Amish
Anderson, Cory pp. 100-115
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III. Low Illumination and the Sun's Glare in Crashes between Motor Vehicles and Amish / Old Order Mennonite Horse and Buggies
Anderson, Cory pp. 116-124
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Makers and Markers of Distinction: Technology and Amish Differentiation in the 1935-1936 Study of Consumer Expenditures
Reschly, Steven pp. 125-146
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Research Note

Reliability and Validity of a Scale to Measure Prejudice toward Old Order Amish
McGuigan, William pp. 147-154
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Book Reviews

Thrill of the Chaste: The Allure of Amish Romance Novels By Valerie Weaver-Zercher
Stork, Sarah Jasmine pp. 155-159
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Pennsylvania German in the American Midwest By Steven Keiser
Downing, Lara pp. 159-164
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Now showing 1 - 12 of 12

Front Matter (Volume 2, Issue 1, April 2014)
(Ohio State University. Libraries, 2014-04)
Amish Economic Transformations: New Forms of Income and Wealth Distribution in a Traditionally “Flat” Community
(Ohio State University. Libraries, 2014-04) Moledina, Amyaz A.; McConnell, David L.; Sugars, Stephanie A.; Connor, Bailey R.
The basic contours of the Amish economic transformation over the past few decades have been well documented, including the demographic squeeze that pushed many Amish out of farming, their embrace of cottage industries and, to a lesser extent, factory labor, and the social and cultural dilemmas created by successful entrepreneurship. Yet the effects of increasing market entanglement on the distribution of income and assets in Amish communities are still poorly understood. In this exploratory study, we draw on publicly available data from the U.S. Census, the Ohio Amish Directory, and records from real estate transactions to map out the distribution of income and land wealth in one predominantly Amish-populated Census Tract in Holmes County, OH. Our findings illustrate economic differentiation within the Amish community, as well as the ways in which affiliation and church leadership are associated with land holdings. Our case study raises important questions about growing economic inequalities that merit further exploration.
The Amish—A People of Preservation and Profitability: A Look at the Amish Industry in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
(Ohio State University. Libraries, 2014-04) Harasta, Joseph
Throughout much of their existence, the Amish remained relatively unknown and/or misunderstood by much of American society other than those who lived in areas with visible Amish communities. However, beginning in the second half of the twentieth century, the popularization of the Amish became a profitable commodity. With ever-increasing media exposure of the Amish during this time, some Amish communities were quickly becoming tourist destinations. It was clear by this point that the growing numbers of sightseers and lines of tour buses could be a moneymaker for businesses near the Amish communities. In many respects, the Amish during this time became a brand, representing a lifestyle that many Americans sought, if only on occasion—a bygone era when things were perceived to be simpler. Amish products and Amish imagery are now a viable commercial brand for everything from amusement parks to beer. This article examines the phenomenon of this “brand” in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Through analyses of interviews with Amish merchants, non-Amish businesspersons who profit from the Amish image, as well as the patrons of Amish stores, the following article provides a unique account of how the Amish image functions from multiple perspectives and the influence it has on consumers who financially support the Amish “brand.”
Amish Workarounds: Toward a Dynamic, Contextualized View of Technology Use
(Ohio State University. Libraries, 2014-04) Ems, Lindsay
Interviews with northern Indiana Amish business owners reveal a tendency to create complex technological workarounds that allow them to abide by shared religious values while remaining competitive in the marketplace. These observations support theoretical approaches to understanding Amish technology use that view technology use as socially contextualized, dynamic and contested. It draws on literature from science and technology studies which views technology as an artifact that is socially constructed. The participants in this study report struggling to manage tensions between maintaining economic stability and traditional family, community, and religious values when deciding whether or not to adopt new technologies. These Amish entrepreneurs feel technology use must be possible but should also be complicated in today’s world. Two categories of workarounds emerge from the analysis of interviews: limitations on use and use via a trusted non-Amish person. These two categories illustrate interactions of economic forces, religious values, and professional tradition. In this way, technology adoption is seen as situated in a particular social context and functions as a signal of one’s “Amishness” or association to an Amish identity.
Transport Practices in Amish Communities
(Ohio State University. Libraries, 2014-04) Warren, James P.; Enoch, Marcus P.
Car ownership is growing in many countries.While beneficial to individuals in many cases, this trend has often resulted in significant economic, social, and environmental costs to society more generally. In researching possible solutions, one approach is to look at particular areas or communities that exhibit less reliance on the car or are even ‘car free’ to some extent, in order to see if lessons can be learned. Accordingly, this study seeks to define and characterize transport practices in Amish communities—in groups located across the United States and Canada—which for religious reasons have eschewed the car. Specifically, the paper draws on a comprehensive literature and archival review, supplemented with expert interviews, to briefly outline Amish beliefs and traditions, and then relate how these influence people’s mobility by mode, journey purpose, community, and stage of life. The study considers mobility by utilizing twelve broad mobilities as motivations, along with examples applied across six suggested stages of life. The twelve motivations considered are: migration; business / profession; discovery; medical related; military related; post-employment; trailing travel; travel across modes; travel for service work; tourist travel; visiting friends / relatives; and work / commuting. The six life stages are infancy, preschool, scholars, young people, adults, and old folks. The impacts of Amish transport are then considered with respect to society more broadly but also for each of the life stages.
Horse and Buggy Crash Study I: Common Crash Scenarios between a Motor Vehicle and the Amish / Old Order Mennonite Horse and Buggy
(Ohio State University. Libraries, 2014-04) Anderson, Cory
Horse and buggy transportation is spreading as rapidly as its Amish and Old Order Mennonite users are, as are buggy crashes with motor vehicles. This study examines the primary causes of 76 reported horse and buggy crashes in Pennsylvania in 2006. The main crash types identified include a motorist rear-ending a forward-moving buggy, a motorist striking the buggy while attempting to pass, buggy struck while crossing an intersection, and buggy struck while making a left turn. While causative factors varied, major factors include the motorist or buggy driver incorrectly comprehending speed differentials, the motorist acting carelessly around the buggy, and miscommunication between the motorist and buggy driver. Within these crash types, buggy conspicuity was not commonly a potential cause.
Horse and Buggy Crash Study II: Overstretching the Slow-Moving Vehicle Emblem's Abilities: Lessons from the Swartzentruber Amish
(Ohio State University. Libraries, 2014-04) Anderson, Cory
For decades, the Swartzentruber sect of Amish have, for religious reasons, rejected state-level mandates for horse-drawn buggies to display the S.M.V. (slow-moving vehicle) emblem. Court cases in several states have suggested: (1) confusion over what the emblem is supposed to accomplish, and (2) questions about the emblem's superiority to alternatives. Synthesizing evidence presented in several court cases involving the S.M.V. emblem and the Swartzentruber Amish, this study clarifies what the S.M.V. emblem can be expected to accomplish and in which domains it reaches its limits. The evidence is organized categorically and presented as a series of cues presented to the motorist. Findings suggest that while S.M.V. emblem serves well as a generic indicator of something demanding attention, it is less effective in symbolic communicating what it is that needs attention and the motorist’s approaching time. Further, the S.M.V. emblem may be counterproductive when a motorist passes a buggy, as the bright splash of color draws attention to the center of the buggy rather than communicating buggy width.
Horse and Buggy Crash Study III: Low Illumination and the Sun’s Glare in Crashes between Motor Vehicles and Amish / Old Order Mennonite Horse and Buggies
(Ohio State University. Libraries, 2014-04) Anderson, Cory
The purpose of this study is to identify time periods of particular crash risk through the day for Amish and Old Order Mennonite horse & buggies. As suggested in prior studies, transitional illumination (dawn/dusk) may be a risk to travel because of a lighting situation that lowers visibility, and the sun’s glare at these same times may obstruct motorists’ vision. The speed differences between buggies and motor vehicles are already great; reduced vision compounds the problem of response time. To assess risk, I compare horse and buggy traffic counts to the times of horse and buggy crashes over a nine-year period. Periods of particularly high risk include the early morning and early evening, during times of illumination transition and high possibility of glare, though the dusk period is punctuated with an hour of low risk. The afternoon and late evening are periods of modest risk. Mid-morning hours are the lowest risk. This study yields mixed results for the hypothesis. When considered in light of previous findings, this study brings more evidence to bear on illumination and glare as particular risk factors for horse and buggy crashes.
Makers and Markers of Distinction: Technology and Amish Differentiation in the 1935-1936 Study of Consumer Expenditures
(Ohio State University. Libraries, 2014-04) Reschly, Steven
Plain groups differentiate themselves from the world, and from one another, by technology. It is worth recalling, however, that before the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Amish farmers and artisans used the same technologies as their neighbors, and were often more advanced than those around them in agricultural techniques and tools. This article examines the early development of technological differences as markers of subcultural boundaries based the massive Study of Consumer Purchases (S.C.P.) conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the U.S. Department of Labor, and the Bureau of Home Economics in the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1935 and 1936.
Reliability and Validity of a Scale to Measure Prejudice toward Old Order Amish
(Ohio State University. Libraries, 2014-04) McGuigan, William
Numerous studies have examined prejudice in regard to race, age, sexual orientation, and gender, among others. However, there remains a paucity of research on prejudice toward Christian religious groups. In particular, prejudice towards one of America's fastest growing religious groups, the Old Order Amish, is rarely examined. Using social categorization theory and based on McConahay's modern and old-fashioned racism scale, an "Attitude Toward Amish" scale is developed and tested. Factor analysis revealed one dominant component and high internal reliability. The article concludes with a discussion of implications for future research of this rapidly growing population.
Thrill of the Chaste: The Allure of Amish Romance Novels By Valerie Weaver-Zercher
(Ohio State University. Libraries, 2014-04) Stork, Sarah Jasmine
Pennsylvania German in the American Midwest By Steven Keiser
(Ohio State University. Libraries, 2014-04) Downing, Lara

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