Understanding Hutterian perceptions of nature : a life history approach
Date
2000
Authors
LaTosky, Shauna Leigh
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Abstract
This thesis focus on the life histories of two Hutterite farmers from Southern Alberta with the central purpose of showing how they perceive of and understand their socionatural environment. Leaming how individual Hutteite interact with and value the prairie landscape of which they are a part is important for shedding light on the validity of external representations of the Hutterites. For over a century the Hutterites of Western Canada have been at the centre of many disputes. They have been criticized by mainstream society for rural depopulation, the decline of local farming communities, and their highly competitive use of large-scale farming technology. These life histories provide, however, a window through which we can look beyond the narrative of economic progress to personal narratives that reflect a fundamental commitment to heeding the Biblical mandate for the responsible stewardship of community and nature.