Amish Cultural Research Paper

Amish Cultural Research Paper Imagine living in a society where the members socialize exclusively with each other and not with the outside world. The men of this society dress conservatively in dark colors sporting clean-shave until married when they switch to beards. The women, wearing only full skirts, wear their hair up in a bun and covered with a simple white cap or bonnet. The community, called an ordnung, decides how the community will be run from state to state. The culture itself keeps an arms distance from technology because they believe that it weakens the structure of the family. Planting and sowing of the fields is done by using horse drawn machinery and very rarely does the hum of anything fuel powered echo from the farms. Intermarriages are kept within the genetically isolated society to include first cousins and divorce is not tolerated. The Amish are a horticultural-based culture that consists of a society that is very conservative and strong on religion. The intent of this paper is to focus on the Amish culture, their primary mode of subsistence, and to identify three aspects of it impacted by this mode.
History
The Amish are a peace-loving, upright, religious group of people, settled happily in different parts of the United States and Canada. They disregard the modern way of life and are content to live their lives preparing for death and heavenly rewards by going without modern conveniences, such as electricity. However, despite their simple way of life, the Amish have thrived since their founding (Foley, 2003). Although the Amish have been in America for over two hundred years, they remain one of the least known of America's Protestant groups (Wittmer, 1970, p. 1063). The Amish faith was founded in Europe between 1644 and 1720, by Jacob Amman. It was a spin-off from the Mennonite faith by a group that wanted to restore some of the early practices by the Mennonites that had been lost along the way. Their beliefs and practices were based on the writings of the founder of the Mennonite-based faith, Menno Simons, and on the Mennonite Dordrecht Confession of Faith ("Religious Tolerance.org," 2005).
The Mennonites, and thus ultimately the Amish, believed that neither baptism, nor joining a church made a man a Christian but only by a re-transformation of soul demonstrated by the outward behavior The Amish believed that it was necessary to exclude those who did not confirm to their beliefs, even if the person concerned was a member of their own family (Patton, 2005, p. 163). Additionally they believe that every man and woman have the right to pray and establish faith in God in any way that they want. The Mennonites taught that a Christian must separate himself from wickedness and bring his entire behavior under the lordship of Christ ("Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission," 2012). The Amish migrated over to America with the Mennonites in mass in 1740 because of political oppression. The biggest difference between the two is that the Amish are more conservative in dress and worship. The Amish basically settled into major groups in America with the largest in Holmes and adjoining counties in northeastern Ohio, Elkhart, and surrounding counties in northeastern Indiana, the oldest, and richest in Lancaster country Pennsylvania, and the remainder in central and western Pennsylvania and in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Delaware, Virginia, Oregon, North Dakota, Missouri, and Ontario, Canada ("Pennsylvania Historical And Museum Commission," 2012, Para 3). Out of the migration of the Amish to America came the division of the society from old order to a new order with both continuing to practice their faith in America, but with slight variations.

Old Order Amish The term “Old Order Amish” is an American term that was given to them as it was noticed that some of the Amish Mennonite congregations were resisting new forms of technologies. The similarities in the old order Amish and new include the simple dress, the horse, and buggy transportation, the Pennsylvanian German language, worship from home, the banning of electricity and finally, the pushback on new technologies, social organizations, or newer methods of church worship. The old order Amish worship in individual homes compared to the New Order Amish. Old Amish send their children to elementary school but do not believe in them attending high school. The Old Order Amish are descendants of the colonial Amish who came to Lancaster and Berks counties Pennsylvania from 1738 to 1756 from Switzerland, Palatinate, Waldeck, Hesse- Cassel, Alsace, Bavaria, and Montbeliard ("Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online," 2012).
New Order Amish This name was given to the Amish that branched off from the Old Order in the 1960s. The New Order Amish settlements are found exclusively in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Although they are very similar to the Old Order, they use new farming technologies like the tractor and include the use of telephones and electricity in their homes. The New Order Amish perform missions work abroad, prohibit the use of alcohol and tobacco, occasionally travel by airplane, have more elaborate buggies, hold formal Bible meetings, and a lower percentage of the New Order church youth join the church ("Amish America," 2010). On a humorous note, the New Order Amish lean toward a clean courtship between the youth breaking away from the Old Order tradition of bundling where a courting couple lay down together fully clothed on a bed.

Horticulturalists Driving through the lush hills of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, an observer would see hosts of farms scattered throughout the scenic countryside. The Amish that are known as some of the best farmers in the world, on average own farms with 40 acres or more. Agriculture farming is the Amish primary mode of subsistence and has been since the beginning of the society. Their crops tend to include corn, tobacco, alfalfa, and various grains and their work ethic includes discipline and hard work combined with a love of the soil. Being horticulturalists is a natural and traditional way of life for the Amish, and which has been their way of life for over 300 years ("Welcome to Lancaster County," 2012). All members’ of Amish families are raised to live an agricultural way of life. The children begin assisting with farm chores beginning at an early age and become indoctrinated at an early age. Farming allows families to work together, and fathers to be at home. Working together allows parents to pass on values of hard work, husbandry of resources, and frugality to children ("Amish America," 2010).
Produce
Between using the traditional horse drawn machinery employed by the Old Order to plant and farm the fields, and current technologies such as the tractor by the New Order, both the old and the new the Amish combine family efforts and farm together to produce a higher output of produce. To keep the soil healthy the Amish rotate their crops regularly, use manure for fertilizer and try to avoid using pesticides. Produce farming of crops such as lettuce, tomatoes, brussel sprouts, peppers, broccoli, and other vegetables is common with tobacco being the minority crop ("Amish America," 2010). Additionally, Amish typically grow hay and corn to feed to their cattle or if there is not enough acreage to do this, they may purchase it.
Although farming is practiced by a minority of Amish today, it remains a highly respected occupation. Amish see their heritage as being founded on farming and farmers themselves are admired in Amish society. In some communities, farm ownership is even required to be considered as a candidate for the ministry. The appearance of produce auctions, where local and even out-of-state buyers acquire Amish produce for their stores has provided a ready market for the output of small Amish farms ("Amish America," 2010). However, although agriculture has been the Amish primary mode of subsistence for centuries, it is quickly shifting to other forms such as dairy, livestock and other forms.
Dairy
Most Amish farmers include dairy with their agricultural farming and have included traditionally raising cows to produce milk for drinking, cheese, butter, and other dairy by products. One of the differences between the Old Order and New Order Amish is that the more conservative ones do not believe in using technologies that produce pasteurized milk for drinking. The chickens are raised by the women folk and their poultry by products are used by the Amish and sold on the commercial market to help support the families.
Livestock
Goats, sheep, hogs, and beef are raised by the Amish to provide supplemental nutrition to the families and also providing additional income from selling in local markets. A variety of horses are bred by the Amish for pulling buggies and farming using mostly saddlebreds, draft horses, and halflingers. Additionally, besides the chickens mentioned above, Amish farms also raise turkeys and ducks in long barns that usually hold thousands of them per floor. Natural breeding with male animals instead of artificial insemination, is the primary breeding method for dairy cows, hogs, and horses. This helps to increase genetic diversity within livestock species.
Holsteins are the dominant dairy animal, although a few Amish farmers prefer smaller breeds such as, Jerseys ("Amish Farming", n.d.). To help in creating a bond between the Amish and the animals and assisting with identification horses and cows all have names such as, Tom, Barney, Maggie, Tony, and Linda.
Other
In some Amish communities, farming has had to be abandoned to types of non-agricultural employment because of the strict rules against modern technological farming equipment. Amish families are learning to adapt by performing traditional services for their communities of horse and buggy trades and farm and household repair. Outside their communities inside the English sector, Amish are operating furniture, and construction businesses, restaurants, retail stores, roadside stands and even working in tourism.
Horticultural Impact on Culture With horticulture being the subsistence cornerstone of the Amish society, it impacts various aspects of Amish culture. Three different areas of the Amish culture it impacts are their beliefs and values, their economic organization, and on their kinship.
On Beliefs and Values Agriculture has been the center of Amish life for over 300 years. The reasons for this are that the Anabaptists fled their native countryside to avoid Roman Catholic Church persecution and the Protestant reformers in the 16th Century. Rural living reinforces Amish beliefs and philosophy. To the Amish toiling with the soil, raising livestock, and growing their own food is seen as cooperating with God's will. Communing with nature is a form of communing with God. In other words, to the Amish way of life, farming is not merely a job but a sacred lifestyle dictated by the Scriptures that are meant to be handed down to succeeding generations ("Welcome to Lancaster County," 2012). The Amish have a solid work ethic consisting of hard work, being responsible, frugality, and community participation. The daily demands of Amish farming, has traditionally helped indoctrinate these character building values in the Amish society.
Economic Organizations The Amish with over 300 years of horticultural experience have managed to pass that experience on to other generations that has enabled the Amish farmers to establish generational farms that operate not only efficiently but also are divided into separate agricultural functions that cultivate produce, dairy, cattle, and other forms of food to sustain life. Additionally, with the shrinking of available farmland, and the challenges associated with producing a high yield of crops without using today’s technologies, the Amish have managed to shift fire to other non-agricultural economic skills that still produce economic viable products that come from their cultural skills and creates financial security that allows many young families to remain within the Amish fellowship ("Everyculture.com," 2011). Additionally, Economic success for the Amish is due, in part, to labor exchange practices and other similar communal sharing practices where members of the families and neighbors share in the work exchange among the community (Long, 2003).
Kinship
Amish members usually do not fraternize with any members outside the community. They maintain social relations mainly within their group or society. This has resulted from years of being a close knit, religion-based horticultural society. The Amish families, farm together to produce better results than one would have with single family agricultural husbandry. This works in favor for all families involved by increasing their agricultural yield. One example of Amish kinship brought on by their horticultural close-knit families is the tradition of house building or barn-raising in which the whole community shows up to construct a home or barn for a family. This would demonstrate a balanced reciprocity where any family that participated would be paid back in full with the community supporting them when it came time to build their home or barn. According to Nowak and Laird, (2010), reciprocity, is a mutual, agreed-upon exchange of goods and services. Reciprocity works well in a society in which food items need to be consumed quickly due to spoilage. An examination of the Amish culture based on concepts of non-conformity and separation from the world, gives essential clues to the agricultural kinship stability of the people who have clung to them (Kollmorgan, 1943).
Conclusion
Why the Amish do what they do is supported by the primary mode of subsistence as horticulturalists. Establishing themselves as leaders of agriculture in American from the 1700s the Amish had demonstrated their expertise and their tendencies to separate themselves from the outside world through various modes of their subsistence that include their conservative beliefs and values, economic organization, and through kinship. This paper focused on those areas and how they impact their agricultural culture.