...Paul Meister University of Phoenix Masters of Human Service Culture and Psychology February 16, 2014 Final Project I have chosen a collectivistic culture which is the Amish culture. A few details regarding the background of the Amish culture is they are most concentrated in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana with 273,700 adults and children and nearly 350 settlements in thirty states of the USA and in Ontario (Kuhnova, 2012) The Amish culture tries to live in nonconformity to the world. This is demonstrated by their dialect, their plain clothing, transportation of horse and buggy, and their housing, functioning to the outside world as distinction and to the inside community as confirmation of a shared identity (Kuhnova, 2012). This clothing style is uniform and leaves little room for individualism, although small differences are perceptible in sewing and cloths. Where for non-Amish this might sound like a limitation of freedom. They fear that owning a car leads to individualism, distinction, social inequality, and too much personal freedom (Vonk, 2012). The above behavior choices of the Amish cultural emphasize togetherness and reinforce group cohesion. According to Vonk (2011), “The community and its welfare are ranked above personal freedom and individual rights, what contradicts modern values such as individualism and self-expression the Amish receive a durable and visible ethnic identity” (pg. 68). The traditional community is quite separate from the outside world,...
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...Traditional and Nontraditional Culture Paper Culture is a daily influence and important to values, beliefs, and behaviors. There are two types of cultural influences. Those cultural influences are labeled as a traditional culture or nontraditional. A traditional culture is influenced by traditions, rules, symbols, and principles. Such influences in a traditional culture are rooted in past influences. Nontraditional cultures are often referred to as modern and are often influential through principles, ideas, and practices (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). To understand the difference between a traditional and nontraditional this paper examines a culture in each classification. The Amish culture consists of values, beliefs, and behaviors that are traditional whereas the American culture is influenced by values, beliefs, and behaviors that are nontraditional. Cultural influences are important to perception and actions taken on a daily basis. Differences Between Values of the Amish and American Culture The main difference between the Amish culture and American culture is individualism. America is steeped in an individualist society. Americans take pride in our churches, our children, and our jobs. Whenever there is an achievement, we are taught to seek pride in that achievement. The Amish work together as a community, and are mainly agricultural. Even in dress the Amish are communal. The status is shown through dress, such as marital status and church commitment (O’Neil, 1997). While American’s...
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...If you ever get a chance to visit Lancaster, Pennsylvania you may be surprised at the cultural change you will witness. The Amish community came to America and settled in Lancaster. This particular community of Amish, live a life of humility, equality, obedience, modesty and simplicity. This interesting group of people may shock the common American when they compare their lives to the Amish. When comparing the cultures of the Amish versus typical American, a person will find that the family life, language, and other aspects of this population can be so different from the latter. Throughout the Amish culture, family is a main part of their lifestyle. According to Towns and Heritage, “The family is the most important social unit among the Pennsylvania Amish” (Towns & Heritage, 2013). This stems from the family’s abundance in size. It is not unusual for a typical Amish family to have seven to ten children. This growth in family is what makes the Amish community as large as it is (Towns & Heritage, 2013). In addition to having many children, the Amish also has many generations living together under the same roof. This allows a “sense of continuity and participation in family life” (Towns & Heritage, 2013). When comparing this to a typical American family, it is easy to see the difference. According to Teachman, Tedrow, and Crowder, “America is made up of a multiplicity of family types including two-parent families, one-parent families, cohabitating couples, and gay and lesbian...
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...In the Amish culture, rumspringa, which means “running around,” is a time during adolescence in which behaviors that would typically be shunned, such as leaving one’s community to experience the outside world, are allowed temporarily. Typically after the rumspringa the young Amish teenager can either choose to be baptized in the church or leave their community for good. In a way this period of exploration can be compared to an adolescent’s experiences in our culture here in the U.S. in the way that it allows for more patience on the part of the adults in the community and greater exploration for the child. However, in other ways, such as how the final choice must be made, this experience is very different for Amish youngsters. The adolescent period of life in any culture is one of great change as one is shifting from childhood into adulthood. In both the Amish and American cultures, these teenagers are allowed to explore and potentially push their limits in order to learn how they need and want to conduct themselves in society. However, while the Amish have an actual term coined for this exploration and are willing to knowingly let their children do otherwise taboo things during this time period, American children must do much of their exploration while at the same time trying not to be caught by their parents or the authorities. There’s a bit of adrenaline and excitement surrounding doing something one knows is wrong, such as drinking alcohol before age 21 or even sneaking...
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...The Amish People Theresa O’Donnell ANT101: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Instructor: Geoff Wood May 16, 2012 The Amish People “The Amish people are an offshoot of the Mennonites, a religious group that was established in 1525, in Zurich, Switzerland” (Dana, 2007, p.1). These people came to America in 1683 in search of religious freedom and to escape European persecution. The Amish is named after Jakob Ammann, a man who “felt that the Mennonites were straying from a strictly religious background” (Dana, 2007, p.1). The Amish are quite simple people who choose not to let too much technology interfere with their lives, because they are afraid that if they become too modernized, their way of life will be destroyed. Therefore, they choose to remain focused on their families and their farms. In other words, “the Amish try to maintain cultural customs that preserve their identity” (Kraybill, 2000, para. 9), rather than stray away from their beliefs and values. The primary mode of subsistence for people of Amish descent comes from their farming, which is what makes them emerging agriculturalists. However, because of the world in which we live today, many Amish people have had to step outside the box and make slight adjustments to how they live in order to survive. This has an impact on many aspects of their life including their beliefs and values, their economic organizations, and their health care practices. Beliefs and Values One of the...
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...Running head: AMISH COMMUNITY 1 Amish Community Jennie Ong AMISH COMMUNITY 2 Abstract The Amish people are a community of individuals who hold their traditions of simple living, self-labor, and isolation very highly. Eastern parts of the United States as well as Canada are the most common areas where Amish communities are established. The group originated from Switzerland and received their name from their leader Jakob Ammann who, during the 18th century, led their immigration to Pennsylvania. Despite their customary values of seclusion, the Amish still experience the equal degrees of obstacles as any other organization may face. The Amish do not have the merchandises or products of the mainstream society, but they still remain successful in preserving their culture and beliefs by continuing to live with their traditional ways. AMISH COMMUNITY 3 Amish Community In the Western parts of the United States, it is uncommon to come across a person following the Amish culture but in most parts of Eastern America such as Pennsylvania Indiana, or even Canada, it is a norm. The Amish or Amish Mennonites are a group of Anabaptist Christians known for their simplistic living, old-fashioned clothing, and their opposition to modernization such as the use of electric appliances. Also known as “The Plain People” or Old Order Amish, they originated in Switzerland...
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...THE AMISH The Amish are a society in North America that follow a very strict interpretation of the bible, and are devout Christians. They seek to be more in tune with familial values and religion versus anything else. How they live is quite different from Western culture. Though the Amish are technically a part of Western society, the two cultures are quite diverse. They have chosen to forsake most modern conveniences for a more traditional way of life. Their primary mode of subsistence is horticulturalists and agriculturalists, because they live off of everything hand grown, whether livestock or vegetables. In this paper, we will explore the way of life for the Amish: beliefs and values, gender relation, and social organization. The Amish religion requires them to abide by the rules of their bible, just like many other religions follow the rules of their bibles as well. The Amish culture originated in the early 1600’s in Bern, Switzerland, and southwestern region of Germany. The word "Amish" comes from the name of the man who formed the sect Jakob Ammann. “Amman maintained a stricter interpretation of Anabaptist doctrine and advocated foot washing and Meidung or the strict social avoidance (shunning) of the excommunicated unfaithful. When other Anabaptist leaders refused to agree to the strict interpretation of the Miedung, Amman forced a split, in about 1693, which resulted in the creation of the Amish”(Byers, 2008). Members of the Amish sect migrated to Pennsylvania...
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...Analyzing Cultures The amish aren’t like the rest of today’s standard American society. They don’t necessarily adopt the norms of others and they don’t intend to in the near future. This makes them a very unique subculture in today’s world. The documentary we watched in class, The Devil’s Playground, does a really good job of portraying the differences between our culture and the amish culture. For example, the documentary talked about how teenagers would get the opportunity to form a counter culture during rumspringa, at the age of sixteen. This counter culture is cemented in the fact that each and every amish teenager gets the choice of either rejecting their culture or not. They begin to experience things that are foreign to the amish...
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... “the Amish are permitted to use modern health care facilities and services including surgery, hospitalization, anesthesia, blood transfusions, and dental work. However, distance, lack of transportation, and cost can serve as barriers to accessing the health care delivery system” (Julia, 1996, p.27). In contrast with modern American culture, health promotion and disease prevention are not priorities among the Amish. Accordingly, immunizations for communicable diseases are accepted, but only about 58% of Amish children have received such immunizations (Julia, 1996, p.32). Furthermore, Amish are generally reactive, rather than proactive, regarding healthcare. Overall, health is highly valued in the Amish culture and they consider their bodies to be God’s temple. Nurses and other healthcare providers must develop open and trusting relationships with their Amish patients. This can start with a focus on family-centered care. Furthermore, the nurse needs knowledge of the Amish belief system and way of life to provide culturally sensitive care. Using empowering strategies will help to make the Amish feel more comfortable in the modern healthcare environment. It is important to ask the patient and their family for their preferences whenever possible. “By showing personal interest in an Amish person, the nurse can enhance credibility by gaining the client’s trust and confidence” (Yoder, 1997, p. 51). EPIDEMIOLOGICAL RATIONALE FOR TOPIC When researching culture and health...
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...‘Witness’ is an American thriller film directed by Peter Weir. The film focuses on the comparison of modern American society and the values of the idyllic Amish community. Weir creates a theme of ‘conflict in cultures’ through the sub-themes of violence and forbidden love. The purpose of creating the theme of ‘conflicting cultures’ is to make the audience aware of how impure the modern society has become. The director uses violence to show significant contrast between the modern western world and the Amish world. During the murder scene at the train station, Samuel, a young Amish boy witnesses the murder of a police officer. The close up shot of Samuel’s eyes is juxtaposed with violent sounds of grunts and thuds. This is an unnatural scene to Samuel, as he comes from such a peaceful place that does not even have a television to see any kind of violence. This scene emphasizes the differing cultures of the Amish and modern America. To further display this, Weir visually implies that the modern American society is corrupt, violent and seedy by filming scene in darkness or in cramped spaces with artificial lighting. The scene at the Happy Valley nightclub, Book grabs a suspect from inside and drags him outside to slam him into the car. Samuel and his mother Rachel sit and watch in a light blue car, which represents their innocence during the situation and contrasts with the darkness around them. The car is owned by Book, symbolizing that Book is a good and moral man at heart....
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...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...
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...The riddle of Amish Culture Chapter 5 : 1. The ordnung regulates private , public and ceremonial life . It is an ordering of the whole way of life, a code of conduct that the church maintains by tradition rather than by systematic rules . The ordnung evolved gradually over the decades as the church sought to strike a balance between traditions and change . ( p.112 ) 2. Before Baptism , the Amish youth are under the care of their parents and the church has no power over them yet. It is a very important stage of their life because a big decision is made : Will I join the church ? in other words : am I willing to submit to the ordnung for the rest of my life ? . For many young people , the rite of Baptism is the natural climax of a process of socialization that funnels them toward the church . ( p.116-117 ) 3. From the beginning to end , the worship symbolizes waiting , unity and humility ; it is a reenactment of Gelassenheit. Obedience and humility are the key themes in the services . Ministers urge members to obey the commandments of the scripture, the vows of baptism and those in authority over them. The decon may also admonish members to be obedient to the lord. Unity is also part of the main themes of the service because at the end of the service all the members get together for lunch , it represents a fellowship gathering rather than a large fast meal . ( p.120-121 ) 4. Members of the community select adult males whom they want to see as ministers...
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...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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...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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...their Anabaptist beliefs. The Amish, whose name is derived from that of Jacob Amman, a Swiss-German Mennonite, are among the most easily recognizable microcultures in America (Shachtman, 2006). Amish customs like dressing in a different manner, adorning beards, restricting the use of electricity, and utilizing the horse and buggy instead of automobiles definitely makes a bold statement that the Amish culture is drastically different than the mainstream macroculture. The film, Devil’s Playground, documents the struggle that Amish youth face when deciding whether or not to join the Amish church. The documentary provides an in-depth look into a muted group microculture that embraces privacy and collectivism much tighter than that of the dominant group within the United States. Devil’s Playground is a documentary focusing on Amish youth and a tradition within the Amish community called rumspringa. The film follows several teens from LaGrange County, Indiana, as they experience rumspringa and debate whether or not to join the church and become Amish. 18-year-old Faron is...
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