Organizational Structure of the Hutterites, Essay Example

The Hutterites are a religious sect that date back some 450 years.  They are Christian people of European descent and the communities can still be found in places like Saskatchewan, Canada to this very day.  The small communities organized their colonies in such a way as to promote self-sufficiency.  Religion plays a central part of the community life and the Minister is usually the head person in charge of the colony.  In this sense they are a chiefdom which is part of the Anabaptist groups that originated from Moravia in the early Czech Republic in Europe.

The Hutterites tend to operate in isolated communities but they are not averse to trading with one another.  Decisions in individual groups are made by the Minister and elected officials or Elders of the community.  Work is accomplished as a community responsibility but there are divisions of labours and maps of early settlements clearly indicate this.  It is largely based around crops and animals with the concept of self-sufficiency.  They have such specialist people like the Blacksmith, the Shoe Maker, the Clothes Maker etc.  (Park).  Marriage tends to take place within the individual communities although there are exchanges between other Hutterite colonies. Families tend to be large and this being one way of sustaining the community and development. They have generally acquired land but there has been controversy in Alberta and Saskatchewan where large deposits of Oil and Natural Gas have threatened the Hutterites traditional ways of life. Much of this associated with pollutants and chemicals getting into the water systems in these remote regions. The Advisory Board consists of the Minister, The Colony Manager and the Farm Manager supported by three witness brothers that are elected for life. (Hutterite Bretheren).  Fig 1 refers.

Figure 1 : Organization Structure

Works Cited

Hutterite Bretheren. Hutterite Bretheren. 2012. http://www.hutterites.org/day-to-day/structure/. 22 10 2012.

Park, M.A. Introducing Anthropology: An integrated Approach 4th Ed. New York : McGraw Hill , 2008.