Hutterites Society Essay

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Hutterites Society The Hutterian Brethren, more commonly known as “Hutterites”, possess many similarities and differences to my own culture as a North American Christian. The life of a Hutterite society is characterized by their historical background, geographical distribution, language, unique cultural aspects, and threats within the colony. I have always been fascinated and curious by the consistent and well-structured way of living that the Hutterites have accomplished over many generations. Ironically, it was the first culture that was spoken about in the anthropology course and book by Michael Allen Park. Therefore, I have chosen to compare and contrast my culture, which I live in today, with the Hutterian Brethren civilization, to further …show more content…

Back in 1528, Anabaptists imprisoned many members of their society due to nonconformity of individuals within the group (Park). This debate started an uproar and separation between the colonies that involved many persecutions. When the execution of the known leader John Hutter, because of his lack of conformity, many members got together and created their own colony calling themselves the Hutterites (Park). For almost 500 years, the Hutterites have maintained an emphasized Christian worldview by pacifism and tolerance. They are recognized as a very self-sufficient culture, in which they completely isolate themselves from the outside world (Park). Their culture is seen as one of the most consistent and structured societies that is still currently thriving today. When you observe, or run into a Hutterite individual, it’s almost like stepping back into …show more content…

Their community lives off agricultural and raise crops and animals depending on the geography and economy of the area occupied. This communal lifestyle regarding all land, resources, and profits are colony property (Park). The Hutterites live in Bruderhofs, which make up colonies of around 100 people (Park). Each and every building has its own individual meaning and purpose, as seen in Park’s picture. As well as the member of the Hutterites, they are very divided by gender roles (Park). This culture is a man governed society, which means the men are the ultimate rulers and bosses over the town, making every decision (Reschly). Women will have more nurturing role, example being a teacher, mother or cook (Park). Men will be have specific positions including colony manager, minister, farm manager, and so on (Reschly). When a town becomes too large, members within the group will migrate through the splitting up of existing units, to recreate a new village from scratch until population overtakes the area again (Park). In my culture, equality rules over most things these days, involving jobs, marriage, and income. Many people fight for gender equality, and try to eliminate gender roles, like we see in a Hutterite society. Their culture has also shunned such worldly items such as television, radio, personal ornamentation, and other modern technology. In my family, everyone has chosen a path in their life career wise

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