The Functionalist Problem in Kraybill’s Riddle of Amish Culture
Much of contemporary Amish scholarship manifests an implicit functionalist paradigm that harkens back to mid-20th-century social science. This perspective tends toward optimistic, even “Panglossian,” explanation of <em>traits</em>, in which everything that the Amish do or believe has a u...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
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University of Akron
2017-06-01
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| Series: | The Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/amishstudies/vol5/iss1/4 |
| _version_ | 1830228162727903232 |
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| author | Michael Billig Elam Zook |
| author_facet | Michael Billig Elam Zook |
| author_sort | Michael Billig |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Much of contemporary Amish scholarship manifests an implicit functionalist paradigm that harkens back to mid-20th-century social science. This perspective tends toward optimistic, even “Panglossian,” explanation of <em>traits</em>, in which everything that the Amish do or believe has a use, purpose, or reason; i.e., a function. The vagaries of history and the ebb and flow of power may be acknowledged, but they are relegated to minor explanatory factors. This essay provides a close reading of Donald Kraybill’s popular <em>The Riddle of Amish Culture</em>. It demonstrates the functionalist premises behind many of the explanations offered in <em>Riddle</em>, despite the fact that the author provides sufficient information for the reader to come to different conclusions about how aspects of Amish life came to be what they are. That the Amish themselves read and respect Kraybill’s work leads to a paradoxical situation in which Kraybill’s narratives are taken to be true explanations, which then become another doctrine that must not be debated or self-corrected. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T10:09:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-031ed24b1ead4d0ab43cff9895fee262 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2471-6391 2471-6383 |
| language | deu |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T10:09:08Z |
| publishDate | 2017-06-01 |
| publisher | University of Akron |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-031ed24b1ead4d0ab43cff9895fee2622022-12-21T21:11:28ZdeuUniversity of AkronThe Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies2471-63912471-63832017-06-01518295The Functionalist Problem in Kraybill’s Riddle of Amish CultureMichael BilligElam ZookMuch of contemporary Amish scholarship manifests an implicit functionalist paradigm that harkens back to mid-20th-century social science. This perspective tends toward optimistic, even “Panglossian,” explanation of <em>traits</em>, in which everything that the Amish do or believe has a use, purpose, or reason; i.e., a function. The vagaries of history and the ebb and flow of power may be acknowledged, but they are relegated to minor explanatory factors. This essay provides a close reading of Donald Kraybill’s popular <em>The Riddle of Amish Culture</em>. It demonstrates the functionalist premises behind many of the explanations offered in <em>Riddle</em>, despite the fact that the author provides sufficient information for the reader to come to different conclusions about how aspects of Amish life came to be what they are. That the Amish themselves read and respect Kraybill’s work leads to a paradoxical situation in which Kraybill’s narratives are taken to be true explanations, which then become another doctrine that must not be debated or self-corrected.https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/amishstudies/vol5/iss1/4functionalismexplanationriddlesgelassenheitpanglossianconsensus vs. conflict |
| spellingShingle | Michael Billig Elam Zook The Functionalist Problem in Kraybill’s Riddle of Amish Culture The Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies functionalism explanation riddles gelassenheit panglossian consensus vs. conflict |
| title | The Functionalist Problem in Kraybill’s Riddle of Amish Culture |
| title_full | The Functionalist Problem in Kraybill’s Riddle of Amish Culture |
| title_fullStr | The Functionalist Problem in Kraybill’s Riddle of Amish Culture |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Functionalist Problem in Kraybill’s Riddle of Amish Culture |
| title_short | The Functionalist Problem in Kraybill’s Riddle of Amish Culture |
| title_sort | functionalist problem in kraybill s riddle of amish culture |
| topic | functionalism explanation riddles gelassenheit panglossian consensus vs. conflict |
| url | https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/amishstudies/vol5/iss1/4 |
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