The Amish and Their Neighbors
Session 5
Friday, June 3, 2022 • 10:30 am
Plenary Address
Epidemics and Echo Chambers: What the Pandemic Teaches Us About Beliefs, Behaviors, and Community
Rachel E. Stein
COVID-19 highlighted the prevalence and influence of misinformation within the Amish community and put Amish health care decisions into the media spotlight. However, the recent pandemic is not the only instance where the health behaviors of the Amish community have been subjected to public scrutiny. Stein will explore how the relationship between health officials and the Amish has developed over time and how public health directives were accepted (or not) in Amish communities during COVID-19.
Rachel E. Stein is an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at West Virginia University. Her research focuses on community building and health in Amish communities. Her current work explores how Amish and Mennonite communities are experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic, how preventive health care decisions vary across Amish affiliations, how reproductive choices impact maternal health, and how visiting practices strengthen the Amish community and contribute to its growth.