Abstract With all of the problems found in the adolescent sexuality of the inner city African American community, problems are just as common in more rural, more seemingly innocent, cultures such as that of the Amish. The paper shows that the simpler throwback Amish culture is one whose sexuality can be just as male-centric and just as harmful to its adolescents as that found in the big bustling looming city. This paper discusses the varied sexualities thrust upon youth in both the African American urban culture and the United States' small but noteworthy Amish culture, comparing and contrasting the two societies' beliefs.
From the Paper "It's a concern for many, for researchers, city leaders, conservative and liberal politicians, community members, and distanced bigots: the rise in sexual promiscuity in the African American community. What is sometimes almost jokingly referred to within the black community as "babies having babies" is not a comical matter when the multitudes of unwanted or uncared-for children are counted, when the list of sexually transmitted diseases and complications is read, when the adverse and overarching effects of lost innocence and premature sexuality are admitted. Yet, with all of the problems found in the adolescent sexuality of the inner city African American community, problems are just as common in more rural, more seemingly "innocent" cultures, such as that of the Amish."
Abstract The writer first introduces the Amish people, explaining where they are from and what they believe in. The paper then discusses how their religious practices influence their methods of communication - language, tone of voice and modest way of speech. It examines their use of language as punishment too - "shunning" people by not speaking to them.
From the Paper "The Amish are known as a "plain" people. This is a description is often given of the modest, traditional dress of Amish men and women. It is also quite applicable to the taciturn style of communication of the Amish as well as to their more famous traditional ways of life and dress. Ostentation in speech in the Amish community is frowned upon with suspicion, even regarded as heretical when done to excess, just as much as innovations in dress and the means of producing the necessities of everyday life."
Abstract This paper describes the Amish people and explains how their lifestyle is in stark contrast to that of most Americans. The writer explains why they refuse social security, health insurance, and the use of electricity. Amish children end their formal education, which includes religious education and practical homemaking or farming skills, at 8th grade and begin to work after about the age of thirteen. Amish baptism beliefs, weddings, funerals, and the practice of shunning, which is the term for expulsion from the Amish community, are also described. The paper concludes that the Amish faith is not one that many Americans can understand, and cites one of the Bible verses upon which the Amish have based their culture and way of life.
From the Paper "The Amish are quite different from today's "normal Americans." They dress in simple and self-made clothes and also forbid photography of themselves because they believe it leads to pride and threatens the importance of "community" by calling attention to individuals. All in all, the Amish way of life is vastly different and yet seemingly senseless from the modern American's way of life because of the simple fact that they use a different method of transportation, refuse to use electricity, the lack of a formal education, their different work habits, and their unusual religious services."
Abstract The paper describes how the Amish people do not conform to the technological innovations of the twentieth and twenty first centuries and maintain their rituals and way of life even in contemporary America. The paper relates the Amish's view on children attending public schools, the coming-of-age ritual for Amish teens and their goal to encourage farming. The paper discusses how strict rules of the Amish way of life have put some of the Amish in conflict with the U.S. government and concludes with the opinion that the Amish, even in the 21st century, are entitled to their old-fashioned ways of life.
From the Paper "Some Amish actually came to the US in the late 1700's. Most of them settled in Pennsylvania, but there are both Amish and Mennonite enclaves in New York, Ohio and Illinois, among other states. Obviously, they came because of religious persecution , but also in part because of their split from the Mennonite. The Amish are far stricter in their religious beliefs. And, perhaps one of the major problems even today, is that they are extremely conservative about marriages. There are a lot of inter-marriages which, as some authors point out, has caused problems in their gene pool. As it is now, the Amish tend to have large families."
Abstract 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."
Abstract This paper crosses disciplines of psychology and sociology/anthropology. It uses Erik Erikson's famous "Theory of Identity Formation" to try and make sense of Amish culture. It examines social and psychological aspects of Amish life from birth to death. It finds that Erikson's theory works well and is substantiated by Amish life?especially Amish adolescence.
From the Paper "With this paper I am concerned with observing Old Order Amish Society (primarily in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania) through an Eriksonian framework of identity formation. His epigenetic cycle, the Eight Stages of Man, will be played out using Amish social customs and practices extracted from numerous literary sources, though most predominantly from John Hostetler's Amish Society. Of particular interest, and most emphasized, is the fifth epigenetic stage?the identity crisis. To expedite a resolution during this adolescent phase, Erikson prescribes a psychological "moratorium" which corresponds directly to the seemingly peculiar Amish practice of relaxing behavioral standards of teenagers. In order not to misrepresent individual identity as collective identity writ small, the notion of Amish personhood is later invoked, although is more briefly discussed. The successful resolution of an adolescent's identity crisis seems to coincide with the decision to enter the church, which, marked by the baptism ceremony, signifies attainment of full personhood. Despite that Erikson's notion of identity is predicated upon a fairly determinant and universalistic psychobiological trajectory, and therefore of limited utility for comparative studies, it is believed useful here as an analytic tool for understanding Amish development given their strong cultural identity and social dictates of personal behavior."
Abstract This paper discusses the culture and values of the Amish. It specifically focuses on their culture of community and the ways in which it is at odds with much of American life and values. The paper discusses the beliefs and religion of the Amish, their view of education and their desire for separatism from 'the English' or non-Amish. The paper concludes that the Amish have become beloved by the society they spurn.
From the Paper "Separate, yet dwelling in the world in a practical fashion, is the hallmark of the Amish community. "As well as being modest, their clothing also separates them from the world," that is from others (Inge, 2007). The Amish do not serve in the military; because their sect is pacifist. However, they do not involve themselves in political causes like the anti-war movement, except when public matters affect the Amish community. They do not swear oaths because that would involve the community in the values of the world ("Beliefs of the Amish," 1996, Religious Tolerance.org. 1996). "They believe that the taking of photographs where someone is recognizable is forbidden by the Biblical prohibition against making any 'graven image'" ("The Amish and the plain people"1995, Pennsylvania Dutch Country). They speak their own dialect, the Pennsylvanian Dutch dialect when amongst themselves. They do not pay taxes, as they do not collect Social Security or other welfare benefits, as the Amish community takes care of its 'own.'"
This paper discusses not only the history and custom of Amish barn raisings, but deals with theoretical work on feasting that often accompanies group work projects in less "modern" cultures.
5,425 words (approx. 21.7 pages), 4 sources, 2001, $ 133.95
Abstract This paper examines the Amish barn raising feast within Dietler's and Herbich's theoretical framework of the Collective Work Event (CWE) and elucidates the role of the feast within the barn raising event, as well as the event itself within a broader social context. The investigation begins with a description of barn raisings within the Old Order Amish community of Goshen, Indiana and then discusses the concepts of the Work Feast and Work Exchange beneath the CWE rubric. Finally, barn raising as an ethnographic object is analyzed using Dietler's and Herbich's six descriptive factors to determine the relevance of the framework to the Amish and to uncover other aspects relevant to a larger discourse of feasting.
Abstract The following paper examines how the Amish are known to live non-resistant lives, and follow the teachings in the Bible in a literal sense. The writer takes a look at their detachment from the world outside Amish communities and discusses how this detachment is practiced through simple living, a trait notable of the Amish people
From the Paper "In the 1690's, they broke away from their organization, the Swiss Mennonites, and created a new group in the leadership of Jacob Amman (from which the word, "Amish" originated). In the year 1727, went to America to escape "religious prosecution" in their homeland Switzerland during the Swiss Protestant Reformation. The Amish were being persecuted during that time because they are Anabaptists, people who do not believe in infant baptism (Amish people are baptized only when they reach the age of 18). Aside from the United States, the Amish also went to Central America and Canada. At present, there are large communities of Amish people living in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, and Illinois "
Abstract This paper examines how women in the Amish religion are committed to living a life that is subordinate and subservient to the male members of the community. It looks at how many women within the Amish community complacently accept this role, as it is the role that was assigned to women in ancient biblical scriptures. It also discusses how there are many that would argue that women within the Amish community are unfairly suppressed, even though all women living within the community do have the option to choose whether or not they will accept the faith before becoming a member.
From the Paper "The Amish practice a very strict form of Christian idealism, which was derived from Anabaptist practices of the early 1500s. The Amish very literally interpret church doctrine as indicated by biblical scripture. Amish women are considered the caretakers of the family and community within the Amish culture. By modern standards the role of Amish women is considered to be very submissive; Amish women live a lifestyle much more reminiscent of women in Victorian times, where men held the upper hand and made all important decisions. A modern woman may in fact look down upon Amish women as subservient, but the Amish religion actually teaches respect and recognition for the important role Amish women play within their communities, even though it is a role that is subordinate to the role of men."
Abstract The paper describes how the Amish people follow a simple life that is adherent to family, faith and community principles. The paper then looks at the view that human development takes place within the context of the relationships that form the environment and discusses how structure in society has always been the strongest foundational base to support the most positive human development. The paper shows how this structure remains very secure only in the Amish community in the United States.
Outline:
Objective
Introduction
Standards: Amish Women vs Contemporary American Women
Relations of Culture, Values and Belief to Ecological Theory
Environmental factors Influencing Culture, Values and Beliefs
Summary and Conclusion
From the Paper "Today's society is characterized by a broken down unit of what was once a structure formed tightly through matrimonial bonds and was a structure that was a firm foundational beginning for children's futures to be constructed upon. It was a structure that has passed the test of time in society and that had served well. Feminism arose when it was required by the processes at work within society in order to find a balance for women who work however, feminism assisted in the breaking down of the family unit as divorces and working mothers became more and more common. There is still today a group of people existing in the United States that follow a very simple life that is adherent to family, faith and community principle and who separate themselves from the common society. These people are the Amish who originally came from Switzerland and were at one time brought into the protection of America by William Penn."
Tags: family, structure, environment, relationships, children
Abstract This paper discusses how some Amish populations have made Lancaster County, Pennsylvania an increasingly popular tourist destination. To determine how the Amish can reap the benefits of this industry without sacrificing their religious integrity, this paper provides a discussion concerning Amish tourism and identifies ways that it can meet the needs of the present residents without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. A summary of the research and salient findings are presented in the conclusion.
Outline:
Review and Discussion
Conclusion
From the Paper "Present day Mennonites and Amish can trace their lineage to the Anabaptists of 16th-century Europe (Kraybill, 1998). The main Amish groups living in the United States today are the Old Order Amish (this group does not use churches but worships in member homes and conducts their services in German), and the Conservative Amish (this group conforms to the Dordrecht Confession of Faith that established the precepts of the faith and conduct their services in English as well as German and accept such innovations as the Sunday school) (Mennonites, 2004). In addition, the terms "House Amish" and "Church Amish" have also been used to differentiate the two groups of Amish (Mennonites, 2004). As noted above, Amish in the United States have settled primarily in Pennsylvania and Ohio, particularly in the so-called "Amish Country" located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (Mennonites, 2004). According to Walbert (2002), the Amish who settled in Lancaster County chose their location wisely: "Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the 'Garden Spot of America,' is a place of contradictions. Since 1950 it has grown faster than almost any county in Pennsylvania, yet it retains a reputation as a rural oasis in a sprawling desert of modern cities and suburbs. Its population has doubled in the past forty years, making the Garden Spot a metropolitan area unto itself" (p. 3)."
Abstract This paper discusses how the Amish people have a very strong work ethic and suggests that modern-day Americans may have a lot to learn from their practices. It also discusses the issue of child labor and whether the employment of Amish teenagers in the family fields and factories could be considered child labor.
From the Paper "In 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court deemed the Amish community exempt from national standards of education, allowing Amish students to leave school after the eighth grade. The Amish people, a religious group who strive to maintain a traditional lifestyle in an increasingly technological world, foster in their youths a strong work ethic. "Learning by doing" is the motto of the Amish in regards to their disregard for formal education, which they view as being irrelevant to the simplicity of their lives. Recently, the Amish community has suffered a small wave of attacks by the federal government over the employment of teens in Amish sawmills. Fines levied against Amish sawmill owners, however, amounts to a thinly veiled accusation that the community practice unethical child labor."
Abstract This paper covers a general background of the Amish in the United States before discussing the practice of rumspringa. The paper shows that when Amish teenagers reach the age of 16, they are given much wider latitude in the community and permitted to experience the outside world and even experiment with it. The hope is that this practice will grant the children just enough freedom that they will not feel stifled if (and usually when) they decide to return to the community to be baptized as adults.
From the Paper "Some believe that the teenagers are drawn back to the Amish lifestyle because even though it does not offer the materialistic amenities of the Western world it possesses physical, emotional, and spiritual security that cannot be easily found outside the Amish world. In an Amish community, all will be provided for so long as each individual follows the exacting code of conduct of the community. For this reason, despite the sensory overload and materialist appeal that the Western world might offer Amish teens on rumspringa, returning to the community is almost assured."
