Public School Teachers Perspectives on the Contemporary Hutterite Family

Abstract

The Hutterites are an Anabaptist group, and are the oldest family communal group in the Western world. The parenting, sibling, and gender practices of Hutterite families were assessed using an open-ended qualitative survey administered on-line. Thirty-two public school teachers on Alberta Hutterite colonies responded. Analyses indicate that parents are loving and supportive of preschoolers, but shift more parenting responsibility to the colony once they reach school age. Sibling relationships closely resemble those of the larger society, but are more traditional, as are gender relations. Finally, many teachers are impressed with the level of family unity and the focus on a healthy life-style, but see the lack of privacy on most colonies and the lack of opportunity for personal growth as drawbacks. What this means in terms of maintaining their traditions while interacting with the larger society is discussed.