8

The Mennonite Quarterly Review

producing children is perceived as one of the most important
contributions that women make to Amish society. For both men and
women, childrearing is a vital element of adult life. The single person
obviously does not have this opportunity.

Table 4. PERCENT OF DEFECTION BY MARITAL STATUS,

GENDER and AGE
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MenWomen

Under Age 46AmishNon-AmishAmishNon-Amish

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Married97%(1261)58%(249)|93%(1287)66%(124)
Single3%(37)42%(182)|7%(92)34%(65)

TOTAL12984391379189

46And Over

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Married98%(302)87%(182)|95%(379)84%(150)
Single2%(5)13%(27)|5%(21)16%(29)
TOTAL 307209400 179
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All differences are significant at the .001 level.
N of cases in parentheses.

According to the 1988 Indiana Amish Directoryonly two single men
and 65 women had set up their own households. In contrast the

directory lists 1869 married heads of household and 1958 spouses²³of
these men. Table 4 demonstrates a relationship between marital status
and defection. Among both men and women, young and old, the non-
Amish population has a larger percentage of singles than the Amish
group. The data suggest that marital status has the greatest impact on
the younger defectors. More than a third of the defectors under the age
of 46 are single; in contrast, fewer than a fifth of those over 45 have not
married. These findings may suggest that younger Amish people are
even more strongly affected by the singleness stigma than was the case
earlier in this century.

23_{. The difference in number between spouses and household heads is accounted for}
mainly by women whose husbands are deceased.