...Cultural Research: The Amish Culture Nilaja Gardner ANT 101 Cultural Anthropology Prof. Bethany Heywood July 2nd, 2012 The Amish Culture Introduction The Amish people are the epitome of what one would consider plain, ordinary, boring, and prude (perhaps next to the modern day view of Muslims). Their name is often synonymous with quality furniture, crafts, and food items. Originating from Switzerland, the Amish have managed to maintain a safe distance from the rest of the world’s influence and immorality, strengthening family ties and maintaining subsistence through agrarianism. This essay serves to explore the kinship, beliefs and social organization of the Amish Culture. Agrarianism, and Freundschaft (Kinship) The Amish maintain a strong sense of community and kinship by way of agrarian lifestyle. Agriculture is a form of adherence to spiritual and manmade (Biblical and Ordung) laws that The Amish follow. Agrarianism is compatible with the doctrine of separation to the world (Hostetler, J., 1964). By isolating themselves from the city, Amish communities avoid what they believe to be sinfulness, sloth, and frivolousness. Man occupies his right place in “the garden”; the plants and animals created by God (Hostetler, J., 1964). Agrarianism separates Amish families from worldliness. By farming their own land and raising their own livestock, this creates self-sufficiency. The need to exit the community for food is alleviated. The hands-on labor creates...
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...The Amish Culture The Amish are a fascinating people. They live surrounded by cities full of technology. Yet they live without automobiles, electricity, and most modern comforts that are taken for granted by many. Donald Kraybill asks the question “How is it that a tradition-laden people who spurn electricity, computers, automobiles, and higher education are not merely surviving but are, in fact, thriving in the midst of modern life?” Though they do not have all of the technology that we take for granted, they live richer lives than many non-Amish people. because gender relations are accepted amongst others in the community, they have strong beliefs, traditions and values, and kinship is important. In the Amish community, they rely heavily on their agriculture as a mode of subsistence. This is known as being an agrarian society. Though they have other means of sustenance, they recognize the importance of agriculture to the community. Amish culture does not use electricity or other modern conveniences. This makes the farming a longer process, as this is their means of survival. They have other means for livelihood but farming is their main job. Some build furniture to sell to the surrounding communities. Others will farm for non-amish employers. “Some stereotypes of Amish life imply that they reject technology and live in a nineteenth-century cocoon. Such images are false. The Amish adopt technology selectively, hoping that the tools they use will build community...
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...The Amish Culture: A Blueprint for a Strong Family Unit Sherletrice Spencer ANT101 Dr. Elena Lattarulo May 21, 2012 The Amish Culture: A Blueprint for a Strong Family Unit The Amish are an old religious sect and trace their heritage to the Swiss Anabaptists of sixteenth century Europe (Kraybill, 2001, pg. 3). Their existence both socially and economically revolve around the church, family, and their resistance to many forms of modern technology and conveniences. The Amish choose to live apart from modern society to maintain unity among its members but most important, to shield themselves from the temptations of the modern world. The ways of the Amish are a page out of the past, but they embrace many values that are lacking in modern society today. They continue to survive and thrive because of their commitment to community survival, adherence to a strict social order, and a strong sense of family and values. The Amish, who are also known as “The Plain People” were founded by Jacob Amman. They initially belonged to a group called the Mennonites who believed in infant baptism and the unification of church and state. The Amish believed in separation of church and state and that people should only be baptized as adults because they believed one was old enough to make the decision about their religious choices as adults. With their vast differences, the Amish decided to break away from the Mennonites which made them a target of religious persecution; their beliefs...
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...The Amish way of life has many interesting concepts and unique beliefs that set them apart from any other culture. The Amish are a Christian church that traces its roots to the Protestant Reformation in sixteenth-century Europe. Amish people accept basic Christian beliefs but also have some special interpretations and emphases that have emerged throughout their history. While some may see the Amish way of life as a cult, there simplistic way of life and their family values and beliefs make them one of the strongest sects in today’s society. To truly understand what the Amish People and their way of life is all about, one needs to know about the origin of the people, their traditions and values, how they sustain themselves in today’s times, their importance and what they give to society today. We need to understand Their Social Organization, Their Beliefs and Values and Their Kinship. The North American Amish may all look alike to outsiders, but practices vary widely among the more than two dozen affiliations. Even within affiliations there are differences among local church districts. Four groups carry the Amish name: Beachy Amish, Amish Mennonites, New Order Amish, and Old Order Amish. The Beachy Amish and Amish Mennonites own automobiles and use public utilities. The Old Order and New Order Amish groups use horse-and-buggy transportation and do not use public utilities (www2.etown.edu/amishstudies). The most popular group is the...
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...It is evident that religion is important to the Amish through their way of living and the way they dress. During a church service, men and women are separated, but both are sitting through a three or more hour plus service in connecting rooms. The parents set an example for the children on how to practice their faith. Every other Sunday, the Amish would go from one house to another for church. The families attend Sunday School, where there are taught about their religion. (amishnews). The Amish practice foot washing. Religious services were in High German, and Pennsylvanian Dutch. The Old Order of Amish would speak Pennsylvania Dutch. It is a dialect of German, also known as “Platt.” Musical instruments were not allowed in church...
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...The American Amish have become popular in American culture due to their bizarre religious practices. The hats, beards, and outdated clothing have caused the Amish to be a household name. After coming to America in the 18th Century, the Amish have seemingly maintained their religious practices. Even though their lifestyle strongly discourages connections with the modern world, the Amish population is still steadily growing. The competitive religious market in the United States is massive. Since the Constitution of the United States allows free entry of any religious denomination into the market, a religion can attract believers only if it offers a commodity as valuable as its competitors. Interestingly, the Amish faith still is growing despite...
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...Amish the Untouched Culture 2 The Amish are considered emerging agriculturalist because they continue to show signs of adapting to their surroundings. Amish culture revolves around agriculture. Farm life is practiced and passed on through ancestry. Farming is extremely important to the Amish culture because it is their primary source of subsistence. It is also a big part of what it means to be part of the Amish culture. Working on the farms helps the Amish community foster unity, family and self-reliance (Knight, 1980). Although the Amish are very skeptical about technology, they have adapted to technology that helps them conduct their daily farming activities. Farming includes raising livestock, cultivating soil, and producing many crops throughout the year. Some Amish order’s carry on a diversified agricultural program. They follow a four-year crop rotation system, typically planting corn for two years, oats for one year, and a hay crop for the fourth year (Schwieder & Schwieder, 2009). In keeping with the philosophy of stewardship, few Amish farmers use commercial fertilizer; instead they use large amounts of manure because they feel this is a superior method and a more natural one. Many Amish orders have this belief about using commercial products on their farm because they believe it to be possibly harmful to the body upon consumption (Weaver- Zercher, 2005). Amish life is rooted in the soil, which creates somewhat of a burden to some Amish families that completely...
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...I got the opportunity to watch “Devil’s Playground” movie in the class, which was an exceptionally eye-opening film. This film was on Amish culture and their lifestyle. During the age of sixteen Amish kids enter Rumspringa period, where they been given the opportunity to discover themselves and decide to choose the path they want to move on. During this period, Amish kids are free to do what they want to do i.e. smoking, drinking, drugs and all the other luxury things of outside world. The Rumspringa period ends when individuals feels ready to make a decision if they want to join the church and obligate to being Amish or they want to join the outside world away from their family and religion. Most of the kids are able to decide around age of...
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...Rites of Passage – Amish and Jewish Cultures Student Name ANT 101: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Instructor Date Rites of Passage – Amish and Jewish Cultures Many cultures in the world have traditional rites of passage that may seem strange to others. According to Crapo, rites of passages are “ceremonies… [undergone] whenever a member of society undergoes an important change in the status within the lifecycle of the group” (Crapo, 2013, p181). Rites of passage ceremonies are powerful and moving in beliefs that bring each person into his or her own path in life. Both Amish and Jewish cultures hold strong traditional and religious beliefs that are incorporated into every day activities. Traditional rites of passage can be special moments in any individual’s lifecycle, particularly when puberty or adulthood rituals occur. For many centuries the Amish have largely remained separated from the English. The Amish community refers to anyone outside of the Amish culture as English. Most Amish communities do not rely on the use of electricity, television, motorized vehicles and tractors. Women and men in the Amish culture live their lives with humility and submission to God, as well as, their parents and to the community and control their desires and reject luxurious and worldly pleasures (Films Media Group, 2005). The Amish do not believe in baptizing the younger individuals in the community. Rather they believe in allowing the young the opportunity to make...
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...As our book states, "culture includes the shared values, norms, and behaviors of an identifiable group of people who share a common history and communication system" (Cardon, 2013) . There are many types of cultures, including but not limited to: Japanese culture, Chinese culture, Korean culture, Hispanic culture, African culture, Irish culture, and German culture. However, one culture that has always interested me but it's rarely mentioned is the Amish culture. At first I was not entirely sure that Amish could be considered a culture but based off the definition it does fall into that category. The Amish have been in America since around the early eighteenth century. They came here from Europe fleeing religious persecution. I have always admired the Amish and their work ethic as well how they successfully get by with little to no technology. The Amish have always been considered very hard workers typically surviving on their farming skills but in more recent years they have branched out and expanded their expertise into businesses involving carpentry and farm product sales (Diebel, 2014). This shows that they are able to slightly evolve from their previous beliefs to keep making a profit for their families....
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...Introduction: In America, the Amish religion began in the early 1700s--its small following has been growing in America ever since. Scientology has roots in the 1950s, and has significantly grown in popularity due to endorsements from very influential celebrity followers. The Branch Davidian once held a considerable following; however, in 1993, that came to a fiery end. In the United States, there is a growing interest in smaller religious groups; groups, that when looked further into, are at the center of much adversity. With growing popularity, juxtaposed with growing controversy, what is it that compels society to join these almost secular groups, instead of the traditional ideologies the nation was founded upon? At the arrival of this...
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...The history of the Amish began in Switzerland. Amish live in various regions of the United States, but the largest and oldest Amish settlement is in Wisconsin. Sixty- Four percent Amish in Wisconsin have dairy herds on their farms. The religion the Amish practice is Anabaptist. William Fischel (2012) explains the Amish religion by stating, “Adult baptism must be freely chosen by both men and women, and the choice is usually made in their late teens. Baptism is not just a covenant between the deity and the person who chooses it. Those who accept baptism agree to submit to the congregation’s ordinances and understandings that are collectively known as the ordnung”. (p.110) This explains how Anabaptist is different than Baptist. According to Fischel (2012), the ordnung is what states “Amish may not own automobiles but may ride in vehicles operated by a non-Amish drives” (p.110). This also helps to...
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...Amish People in America Onieca Baraka ANT 101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology June 11th, 2012 Imagine living in house with no electricity, or not having the luxury of driving an automobile. Picture not being able to eat at fast food restaurants or shop at the mall. There are people in our nation who live like that every day. Amish people have been living in America since the early 1700’s. The Amish societies have grown tremendously, and continue to live by their own rules in an ever changing world. With all of the technology available today, Amish leaders choose not to indulge, but rather to live a simple life. Although there are some minor differences in Amish bands, Amish do not falter from their traditions or beliefs and rituals. In about 1730 the first Amish settlers arrived and settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The Amish were led by Jakob Anman in a split from the Mennonites over differences in beliefs. Since settling in Pennsylvania the Amish have split into several different groups and are settled in several different states. People of the Amish society are emerging agriculturalists. Their primary mode of subsistence is farming. For the most part Amish men and children work on the farm. Women take care of the home and help with barn chores if the family lives on a farm (Kraybill, 2001). Amish farms are not known to be big, but just enough to provide for the family. Amish are not allowed to run big farms in order to control power....
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...Some background about Mr. and Mrs. Miller; both were raised Amish, they met when they were teens in the Amish community in Central WI. Mrs. Miller, the daughter of the bishop, and Mr. Miller the son of a Farmer. When they married, farming was what they knew and began. They have six children, three boys and three girls. Their farm is pristine and welcoming, it is the home Mrs. Miller was raised. Mrs. Miller moved to Central WI when she was nine, from Ohio. There was a split in the Amish community, because of some differences in the rules of the Church, hence her dad decided it best to leave and begin a new community. She shared about the feeling of living in a glass bowl, how she always felt watched and she could never be good enough because she was the daughter of the Bishop. She didn’t feel her parents put the expectations on her, rather more from the Amish community. This was a sensitive topic for her to discuss. She wanted to talk about it because she has felt judged and criticized by her Amish counter parts, as opposed to the majority culture. She still feels, to an extent, that she and her family are on display…even as an adult. She asked me how I deal with the expectations of others. I shared that I live before an audience of one, and my soul purpose is— in everything I do or say is to bring glory and honor to His name. That is my reminder when I feel weighted down with expectations of others, I am then reminded of my purpose; making everything...
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...The Amish are a religious community that were led by Jakob Ammann, a Swiss Elder, in the early 16th century. They were part of the Anabaptist movement that descended from Europe to the USA. They believe in Jesus and in the Holy Trinity and have a set of rules to guide their everyday Christian life known as “Ordnung”, a German word for discipline. Although, they are found throughout America, they are mainly located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Indiana. The Amish are a “conservative branch of Christianity” and live a rural life, away from the modern society (Massey, 2015). In the Amish culture, women are often seen wearing plain long dresses and no jewelry, and for men, they wear dark colored clothes, (blue jeans during summer and dark suits...
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