The Demography of Devotion: Comparing Amish and Hasidic Jewish Religious Responses to Genetic Diseases
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Date
2009-06
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
Minority religious groups in the United States have had an influential role in shaping American culture, thanks to the fact that America has long been a safe haven for many whose religious ideals brought them intense persecution in their countries of origin. The Amish and the Hasidic Jews in particular have had a unique impact on U.S. scientific culture and genetic research. These two groups, as a result of both external pressures and internal efforts, maintain closed communities with regards to both their worldviews and their marriage patterns. Given the lack of previous research comparing the influence of social and biological factors influencing the legacy of genetic disease amongst these two populations, there is a great deal to be gained from conducting comparative research. This research will address the sociological significance of genetic diseases as they relate to these two minority religious groups by addressing and comparing each community's responses to genetic diseases amongst its offspring and investigating the impact that these trends have. Due to the fact that the Amish and the Hasidic Jews share so many commonalities regarding their social structures and their struggles with genetic diseases, it is anticipated that this research will shed light on a previously little understood subject.
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Keywords
genetic diseases, pietistic communities, closed societies, Amish, Hasidic Jewish, demography