The primary aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between collective ownership of the means of production and inequality of political opportunity within the Hutterite population. Two competing theoretical models are presented and compared with respect to their power to predict social and political mobility patterns within Hutterite colonies. The first model (the Marxian thesis) claims that inequality of political, opportunity is a function of inequalities in the control over and access to the means of production. This theory asserts that a society in which the means of production is held in common (a communist society) will also be a society in which the political position held by an individual will be determined independently of family origin. The second model .(the Machiavellian thesis) claims that economic factors are not solely responsible for inequalities in'political opportunity. Rather xn a society which is structured such that individuals enjoy differing degrees of decision-making power, the offspring of the most powerful will have greater political opportunities than the offspring of the less powerful. Since Hutterian society holds the means of production in common and is characterized by a well defined political hierarchy, it serves as an excellent case study for the testing of these two competing theories. Both theories failed to receive empirical support in a number of critical areas. Some Hutterite colonies displayed complete equality of political opportunity, whereas others were characterized by the formation of political dynasties which had monopolized all effective political power for generations. This occurred despite the fact all Hutterite colonies are virtually identical with respect to ownership patterns and the structure of their political hierarchies. It was discovered that the political position of the father only becomes a significant factor in the determination of the political position of the son if there is a shortage of positions in the occupational and political structure. Colonies in which economic, demographic, and organizational factors have produced an excess of positions tend to be equalitarian, whereas colonies in which a scarcity of positions have been produced tend to be dynastic. This finding suggests that a communistic society such as the Hutterites can only achieve equality of opportunity if it is able to satisfy the career aspirations of its members. If it fails to do this, a more particularistic grouping such as the family will emerge as a political force to protect the life chances of its own members. / Arts, Faculty of / Anthropology, Department of / Graduate

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Statistics, August 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University, 1939. / Vita.

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Thesis (M.A.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1969. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1963. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 92-94).

Limb girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMDs) are a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of myopathies characterized by weakness and wasting of the proximal musculature. There are currently seventeen loci associated with different LGMDs, seven with an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance (LGMD1A–1G) and 10 with an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance (LGMD2A– 2J). The cumulative worldwide prevalence of LGMD is thought to be ~1/15,000. In the Hutterite population of North America there is an over-representation of autosomal recessive LGMD with a prevalence estimated to be >1/400. The objective of this work was to delineate the genetic basis of LGMD in this large genetically isolated population. A genome-wide scan was performed on Hutterite LGMD patients and their families in order to locate the mutant gene. This allowed us to identify a novel locus at chromosome region 9q31-33 that was named LGMD2H. Extensive haplotyping and mutation screening led to the discovery of c.1459G>A in TRIM32 as the causative mutation of LGMD2H. We then found that this same mutation was the cause of another previously described myopathy in the Hutterites, sarcotubular myopathy (STM)[reference awaiting publishers decision]. Analysis of the TRIM32 gene product revealed that it is a potential E3-ubiquitin ligase, is expressed in many human tissues including muscle and brain, and has a punctate cytoplasmic distribution. During the analysis of the LGMD2H region, it became apparent that there were Hutterite LGMD patients not linked to the LGMD2H locus. In order to identify the causative gene(s) in the remaining families, we performed a genome-wide scan. A locus at chromosome 19q13 was found to correspond to disease inheritance, the site of a previously described LGMD locus, LGMD2I. No causative gene had yet been identified at this locus so haplotyping and mutation screening was performed. We were able to identify c.826C>A in FKRP as the causative mutation in our remaining cohort of LGMD patients. The same mutation has since been found in many other populations, and is apparently a relatively common cause of LGMD. We obtained DNA from 19 non-Hutterite LGMD2I patients of diverse origins with c.826C>A and determined that it is an old founder mutation. There is no further evidence of any other loci causing autosomal recessive myopathy in the Hutterites. With the identification of c.1459G>A in TRIM32 and c.826C>A in FKRP we appear to have delineated the genetic cause of all myopathies of increased prevalence in the Hutterite population. To date, we have been able to provide accurate, non-invasive, diagnosis to over 70 patients and have provided carrier testing to approximately 120 at-risk family members. This kind DNA-based approach is not feasible in the general population due the enormous amount of locus, allelic, and clinical heterogeneity among myopathy patients. / May 2005