Diaspora in the Countryside

Two Mennonite Communities and Mid-Twentieth Century Rural Disjuncture

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Christianity, Denominations, Mennonite, History, Americas, North America
Cover of the book Diaspora in the Countryside by Royden Loewen, University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Royden Loewen ISBN: 9781442658776
Publisher: University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division Publication: December 15, 2006
Imprint: Language: English
Author: Royden Loewen
ISBN: 9781442658776
Publisher: University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division
Publication: December 15, 2006
Imprint:
Language: English

From the 1930s to the 1980s, the North American countryside faced a profound cultural transformation in which a once-unified rural society became fragmented and dispersed. Families wishing to remain on the farm were required to accept new levels of automation, while others, unwilling or unable to make the change, migrated to nearby towns or regional cities. The cultural reformulation that resulted saw the emergence of a genuine rural diaspora. The growing cultural and physical separation was especially true for close-knit, ethno-religious communities, Mennonites, in particular. Forced into regional cities, the kaleidoscopic urban culture further fragmented the Mennonites into disparate social entities.

In Diaspora in the Countryside, the phenomena of rural fragmentation is examined by comparing and contrasting two closely-related but distinctive Dutch-Russian Mennonite communities located in different parts of the continent: Kansas and Manitoba, respectively. By systematically comparing these communities, two distinctive responses to the mid-twentieth century 'Great Disjuncture' are made apparent. Royden Loewen also contrasts the cultural changes of these farm families to the cultures their kin adopted in nearby towns and cities. Loewen charts not only the dispersion of two rural communities, but follows their former residents as they reformulate their lives in new settings.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

From the 1930s to the 1980s, the North American countryside faced a profound cultural transformation in which a once-unified rural society became fragmented and dispersed. Families wishing to remain on the farm were required to accept new levels of automation, while others, unwilling or unable to make the change, migrated to nearby towns or regional cities. The cultural reformulation that resulted saw the emergence of a genuine rural diaspora. The growing cultural and physical separation was especially true for close-knit, ethno-religious communities, Mennonites, in particular. Forced into regional cities, the kaleidoscopic urban culture further fragmented the Mennonites into disparate social entities.

In Diaspora in the Countryside, the phenomena of rural fragmentation is examined by comparing and contrasting two closely-related but distinctive Dutch-Russian Mennonite communities located in different parts of the continent: Kansas and Manitoba, respectively. By systematically comparing these communities, two distinctive responses to the mid-twentieth century 'Great Disjuncture' are made apparent. Royden Loewen also contrasts the cultural changes of these farm families to the cultures their kin adopted in nearby towns and cities. Loewen charts not only the dispersion of two rural communities, but follows their former residents as they reformulate their lives in new settings.

More books from University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division

Cover of the book The Mirroure of the Worlde by Royden Loewen
Cover of the book The Voyages of Jacques Cartier by Royden Loewen
Cover of the book Portfolio to Go by Royden Loewen
Cover of the book Negotiating Identities by Royden Loewen
Cover of the book Knowledge and Practice in Mayotte by Royden Loewen
Cover of the book Round About Industrial Britain, 1830-1860 by Royden Loewen
Cover of the book Charlotte Lennox by Royden Loewen
Cover of the book Writing Unemployment by Royden Loewen
Cover of the book The Pope's Dilemma by Royden Loewen
Cover of the book Caught by Royden Loewen
Cover of the book Mind, Body, Motion, Matter by Royden Loewen
Cover of the book Thinking Radical Democracy by Royden Loewen
Cover of the book Toronto, No Mean City by Royden Loewen
Cover of the book The Moral Economy of Cities by Royden Loewen
Cover of the book The Hakkas of Sarawak by Royden Loewen
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy