Old age and inheritance in two social formations: The Alexanderwohl Mennonites in Russia and the United States

Although many researchers have examined the relationship between old age and inheritance, few have succeeded at locating these in the context of the broader political economy. This article explores the differences between the Russian feudal and U.S. capitalist social formations to reveal how the Alexanderwohl Mennonites differentially arranged for inheritance and retirement. Using diaries, letters, family genealogies, photographs, census and land records, and interviews, the article will show how, as community production shifted to the private, independent household, the latter replaced the community institutions which had negotiated retirement and inheritance.