Editors' Introduction

No abstract available

Editors' Introduction

No abstract available.

The Emergence of Amish Genetic Studies: A Brief History of Collaboration and Reciprocity

Since the 1960s, Amish genetic studies has become a significant arena of collaboration between medical researchers and Old Order Anabaptists. This article describes the origins of and early actors in this field of research and pushes beyond the handful of cursory accounts that focus exclusively on Dr. Victor McKusick, central though he was, to include the critical contributions of other researchers, physicians, and Amish liaisons. The collective work of these individuals quickly pointed to four areas of ongoing inquiry: the cultural context of health and illness, documentation of known but very rare conditions, identification of previously undocumented conditions and diseases, and demography. A remarkable feature of this early research was its interdisciplinary nature and its collaborative engagement with Amish people. That collaboration resulted not only in numerous medical breakthroughs, but also in expanded settlement directories and updated family genealogies, which Amish communities embraced, replicated, and came to regard as valuable community resources

Editors' Introduction

No abstract available

Editors' Introduction

No abstract available

Editors' Introduction

No abstract available

Amish enterprise: The collective power of ethnic entrepreneurship

This paper examines how Amish communities build and sustain enterprises that produce and/or sell goods to both ethnic and non-ethnic markets. Based on qualitative research including interviews with 161 Amish entrepreneurs in 23 communities in the USA, the authors develop a transformative model of ethnic community entrepreneurship. The analytical model conceptualises the dynamic interaction between three forces/agents - cultural constraints, cultural resources, entrepreneurs - and shows how they shape the character of small businesses, which, in turn, transform the ethnic community that conceived them. The results demonstrate how culture, community, and ethnic context mediate the nature, size, and function of ethnic enterprises.©2010 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd

Front Matter

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