The Control of Social Space in Mennonite Housebarns of Manitoba, 1874-1940
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE CONTROL OF SOCIAL SPACE IN MENNONITE HOUSEBARNS OF MANITOBA, 1874-1940 Roland Meyer Sawatzky B.A. University of Winnipeg, 1993 M.A., University of South Carolina, 1998 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Department of Archaeology O Roland Meyer Sawatzky SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Spring 2005 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. APPROVAL NAME: Roland Meyer Sawatzky DEGREE: Doctor of Philosophy TITLE OF THESIS: The Control of Social Space in Mennonite Housebarns of Manitoba, 1874- 1940. EXAMINING COMMITTEE: Chair: Dr. L. Bell Associate Professor Dr. R.W. Jamieson Assistant Professor Senior Supervisor Dr. D.V. Burley Professor Dr. J. Hyndman Associate Professor, Department of Geography Dr. R.K. Loewen Professor, Department of History University of Winnipeg Date Approved: SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Partial Copyright Licence The author, whose copyright is declared on the title page of this work, has granted to Simon Fraser University the right to lend this thesis, project or extended essay to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. The author has fbrther granted permission to Simon Fraser University to keep or make a digital copy for circulation via the Library's website. The author has further agreed that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by either the author or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without the author's written permission. Permission for public performance, or limited permission for private scholarly use, of any multimedia materials forming part of this work, may have been granted by the author. This information may be found on the separately catalogued multimedia material. The original Partial Copyright Licence attesting to these terms, and signed by this author, may be found in the original bound copy of this work, retained in the Simon Fraser University Archive. Bennett Library Simon Fraser University Bumaby, BC, Canada Simon Fraser University Ethics Approval The author, whose name appears on the title page of this work, has obtained human research ethics approval from the Simon Fraser University Office of Research Ethics for the research described in this work, or has conducted the research as a member of a project or course approved by the Ethics Office. A copy of the approval letter has been filed at the Theses Ofice of the University Library at the time of submission of this thesis or project. The original application for ethics approval and letter of approval is filed with the Office of Research Ethics. Inquiries may be directed to that Ofice. Bennett Library Simon Fraser University Burnaby, BC, Canada Abstract Mennonite migrants coming to southern Manitoba from south Russia in the 1870s and afterwards brought with them a unique settlement pattern and architectural heritage that included open prairie street villages and the construction of housebarns. Mennonite households were treated in this study as a form of ethnic architecture encom- passing social and economic concepts of individual and public values. The structural and habitation histories of twenty-six dwellings were documented and analyzed. Oral inter- views with former inhabitants were conducted to provide historical, social and personal context. This research was informed by Pierre Bourdieu's theory of practice and the con- cept of habitus. a set of durable dispositions carried by an individual throughout their lifetime. Habitus is structured by daily practice, including the activities and relationships found in household settings. Mennonite households in this study were examined to determine the degree to which they were products and producers of habitus, and how this changed over time. Dwellings were also examined as products of status display strategies, and exteriors and orientations of houses were compared to previous studies of Mennonite architecture. Mennonite habitus was structured according to strict age and gender categories that were physically symbolized in furnishings, decoration, and activity areas found in Mennonite dwellings. Over time, as many villages dissolved and an ethic of individual- ism was incorporated into Mennonite society, these categories weakened. It was deter- mined that variations of the Flurkuechenhaus design concept used by Mennonites were related to financial and social status differences within an orthopraxic village setting. When villages dissolved due to the relatively open nature of land acquisition in Manitoba, Mennonite homes reflected and inculcated the increasing independence and individuality of the household economic unit. In the villages that remained. extant housebarns were modified in both interior and exterior design to accommodate changing ' concepts of family, economy, and status. Over time these structures were transformed to accommodate both ethnic Mennonite and mainstream Canadian stylistic elements and spatial use. Acknowledgements Many people were involved in the process of creating this dissertation, at various times and in quite different roles. I would like to extend great thanks to the people of Chortitz, Neubergthal, and Reinland, Manitoba, who opened their homes and their memories to me. Their warmth and attentiveness lie at the heart of this research. Many thanks to Dr. Ross Jamieson who, as my senior advisor, provided excellent and succinct criticism that strengthened the direction and style of this thesis. He also provided many words of encouragement throughout the process. Thanks also to the members of my examining committee Dr. David Burley and Dr. J. Hyndman for their careful analysis and comments. Special thanks to my external examiner Dr. Royden Loewen for the benefit of his deep knowledge of Mennonite history and his tough ques- tioning of the foundations of this dissertation. I am extremely grateful to all the staff and volunteers at the Mennonite Heritage Village in Steinbach, MB, for their constant support and enthusiasm throughout the process of writing. There are many people whose support and advice made the relatively smooth process of this dissertation possible. Gratitude is particularly extended for the support provided by my parents Martin and Mathilde, and in-laws Anne and Duane. I would also like to thank Dr. Catherine D'Andrea and my fellow students in the department, Dr. Keldon Drudge, David Finch for his assistance in the field, the staff at the Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives in Winnipeg, The Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society, and Paul and Margruite Krahn. Jake and Ingrid Friesen of Reinland, Manitoba deserve great thanks for allowing me to stay with their family during periods of my fieldwork. My loving wife Aniko has supported me with tremendous patience and time, and was a foundation for my work. Table of Contents .. ApprovalPage ....................................................11 ... Abstract ........................................................111 Acknowledgements ................................................v Tableofcontents .................................................v i ... List of Figures ..................................................viii Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................1 Chapter 2: Practice Theory and Household Architecture ..................5 Defining the Architecture of the Household ...............................6 Bourdieu and the Theory of Practice .................................... 7 Habitus and the Household .................................... 11 Practice Theory in Archaeology .................................12 Habitus. Household. and Cultural Change ......................... 15 Habitus. Embodied Learning. and Literacy ........................16 Orthopraxis ...................................................... 20 Operation of Theory in Archaeological Context ...........................-- ?7 Conclusion .......................................................27 Chapter 3: Mennonite History and Architecture ........................29 Early Mennonite History ............................................30 Mennonite Migration to the Vistula Delta ...............................33 Ethnicity and Mennonites ..................................... 35 Political and Economic Restrictions .............................. 37 Language .................................................. 39 Education and Literacy ....................................... 42 Marriage and Inheritance Patterns ............................... 44 Religious Doctrine ........................................... 46 Settlement Patterns .......................................... 49 Mennonite Household Architecture in West Prussia .................. 51 The Migration to Russia ............................................ 62 Settlement Patterns in New Russia ............................... 64 Economy in the Colonies ...................................... 68 Household Economy ......................................... 69 Social Control, Education, and the Idea of Progress .................. 71 Mennonite Household Architecture in Russia ....................... 73 Mennonite Public Buildings in Russia ...........................