Amish and Technology

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how today's American society is driven by technology and the wave of change that its current brings and how, as the changes become faster, and the technology becomes more accessible and more powerful, the task of keeping traditional Amish culture alive becomes ever more challenging. It looks at how, through Amish negotiations within their community and church, as well as outsiders in the farming and milk industries, the Amish have slowly adapted to the modern era at their own pace and on their own terms with respect to the use of electricity, the telephone, automobiles, and farming equipment. The Amish ways and traditions may not be exactly as they were long ago in the pre-industrial age, but their adjustments and amendments have been in the best interest of the Amish community toward the goal of preserving their history.

From the Paper:

"The ban of electricity however, sometimes had to be lifted in order for the Amish to stay close to their faithful traditions. One key exception was when the church allotted the privileged use of a generator under certain conditions. As the world around the Amish began to advance rather quickly, the Amish were left with the problem of purchasing horse-drawn farm equipment. In order to convert tractor-drawn machinery to horse-drawn the use of electrical welders was needed. Welders were also needed to repair broken machinery. Electric generators were seen as an important source to produce the energy needed to power the electric welders. The church viewed the purpose of maintaining and adapting farm machinery for horses as an important one, so they in turn allowed electric generators. However, farmers and mechanics began to take advantage of this powerful technology by bending the rules of the church, using the electric generators for other purposes."

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