Amish in a Modern World
Debra Galton
ANT 101
Lucy Lee Brown
March 5, 2012

Amish in a Modern World
The Amish people are a private people who have found a way to survive in the modern day. The Amish culture is a closely knit community. Their farming and trade skills help to provide for their families and give back to their community. They do not let the outside world influence how they dress, educate or practice religion. Their beliefs and values have remained strong. The Amish have been in America for over two centuries. They have retained their own language as well as culture.
The Amish do not depend on modern technology to plant and harvest crops. They remain an “agriculturally-oriented people, who foster large families and seek self-sufficiency.” (O’Neil, 1997, para 12) Their culture frowns upon the use of machinery for farming as well as for transportation. They depend on their knowledge of the land as well as each other to get the job done. The families work long hours planting, maintaining and harvesting their crops during planting season with the use of their horses and horse drawn plows. “During crop planting and harvest seasons, all family members help in the fields.” (Ennis, 2010, para 6). Everyone does their fair share of work as a family and even as a community.
Social gatherings are also an important part of the Amish community. “Cornhusking parties and Sunday evening barn singing with square dancing” entertain both the young and old. (Ennis, 2010, para 1) Teenagers even enjoy “a warm summer evening gathering at a farm for husking, talking and laughing.” (Ennis, 2010)
It was thought that because the Amish resist modern technology for their farming that they would not be as productive as their non-Amish neighbors. The Amish have been “praised for being among the best farmers.” (Cosgel, 1993, P321). They are also the first to “adopt and even invent, new developments in technology.” (Cosgel, 1993, P 321)
Not all Amish men work directly in the fields, depending on the need of a young man on their family farm and/or the availability of land to start their own farms, they may work at a trade such as blacksmith, carpenter, furniture makers or butchers, which are important to the farm work as well as planting and harvesting crops. “Work should be communal, intertwined with the community, and never a source of individual pride and exhibition.” (O’Neil, 1997, para 14) Every member of a family and community are never idle, always having some type of work that needs to be done. The belief is “the land keeps them closer to God. The Amish grows, butchers, cans or bakes most of their own food.” (Ennis, 2010, para 3).
Everyone is of importance in the Amish community, from the very young to the very old. “There is meaningful work and responsibility for all ages. Everyone is important and needed.” (O’Neil, 1997, para 18). They are always willing to help each other out. A whole community will get together to put together a house or a barn for their own community as well as non-community people. When a date is set for construction, “hundreds of men gather to supply the labor” to build a new structure. (Frischette, 1997, para 19) “The Amish look out for neighbors outside the family. (Fischette, 1997, para 19) The men will all pitch in to build the structure, while the women are busy preparing and cooking as part of a celebration for a job well done. After the noon meal is finished, the men return to their building and the women gather together to quilt. Even the harvesting season has an impact on when weddings are performed. Amish weddings are an important social event, “which traditionally takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays in November, at the home of the bride. Wedding ceremonies, like regular worship services or meetings, are held in homes.” (Fischetti, 1997, para 35). The average age for marriage is between the ages of “22 and 25. Divorce and birth control are taboo.” (Fischetti, 1997, para 36). Adhering to tradition, the Amish still marry in “new but ordinary Sunday clothing. The Amish are the only ethnic group that continues to celebrate weddings exclusively after harvest.” (Fischetti, 1997, para 36).
The bride-to-be is given a bridal shower by her friends. “The purpose of this party is to let friends “shower” the bride with useful items for her new household, such as tablecloths or dishes.” (Fischetti, 1997, para 39) The new home may also be furnished through a dowry. “To the Amish this is a collection of objects needed to furnish a household and to continue the family business.” ((Fischetti, 1997, para 40) Following the wedding, the woman’s covering goes from black to white. Men will not cut their beards any longer as they did when they were single. (Fischetti, 1997). There will be no honeymoon. The new couple will take their place in the community in their new home, starting their own family and planting and harvesting their own crops. Children are taught from very young the importance of their religion and hard work. Amish parents spend a lot of time educating and molding their children to the Amish customs. The Amish children learn “obethence as toddlers when they sit through four hour preaching services. By the age of 4, they help their parents with chores.” (Ennis, 2010, para 4). As everyone is expected to help out on the farm, “everyone rises at 5:00 a.m. School age children do their chores before walking to Amish school.” (Ennis, 2010, para 4) They are given chores according to age. “The younger children bring wood into the kitchen.” (Ennis, 2010, para 4). They are taught from an early age that hard work is a way of life and how important farming is to their culture. “Children learn to garden at a young age, helping their mother’s plant and gather the family vegetables. Girls learn to can and dry fruits and vegetables. Often by the age 10, they can bake bread.” (Ennis, 2010, 7) This helps to teach the children how to farm as well as give them a sense of responsibility and prepare them someday for their home.
The children are taught in a one room school house and are educated up to the 8th grade, as it is felt that there is no need for further education. They are taught the fundamentals felt necessary to get them through life to include “reading, writing, English, mathematics, geography, history, German, music, art and the Bible.” (Fischetti, 1997, para 16). The children speak Pennsylvania Dutch in their homes, which is spoken a majority of the time, but has learned the English language in order to communicate with the people outside their communities. (Ennis, 2010).
The Amish children spend most of their “playtime mimicking their parents’ tasks.” (Fischetti, 1997, para 23). The children do not have many toys and what toys they do have promote creativity. “A simple broom becomes a horse. Empty store boxes and cans become the perfect props for playing house, peddler or storekeeper.” (Fischetti, 1997, para 23).
Toys that the Amish children can also have are made by hand to include “stuffed dolls or animals, gourds and corn cobs animals, doll beds are crafted from spare wood.” (Fischetti, 1997). Faceless dolls reflect the Bible passage that “prohibits the Amish from having their picture taken.” (Fischetti, 1997, para 24). Amish children also create toys from scrap wood to include “stilts, scooters, wagons and kiddie cars, but bicycles are frowned upon as they provide easy access into town and away from home.” (Fischetti, 1997, par 25). Nonetheless, as simple as Amish children’s toys are, the children continue to enjoy their childhood and learn how to contribute to their community and be an active part.
Social change has had little influence on how the Amish live. They continue to maintain their homes electricity and telephone free in their homes. There is a phone shack that is shared amongst a few families. Their religion steers them away from modern technology. They enjoy their hard work as farmers and laborers and living within their means. They are happy with just getting by not wanting any more than they need to get by.
They do abide by local laws and government obligations, but they have a set of church rules that they follow and strictly adhere to. For example, “if an Amish lad runs away from home or leaves the church, he is guilty of parental disobedience.” (Wittmer, 1970, para 9). This can lead to being excommunicated from the church and shunned by your community including your family. (Wittmer, 1970) “Shunned persons or transgressors cannot eat with members, sleep with their member spouse, give favors to or conduct business with members.” (Fischetti, 1997, para 32) One example for a transgressor is someone who “uses a tractor in a field, allowing their picture to be taken, flying on a commercial airliner, or filing lawsuit. (Fischetti, 1997, para 32). The transgressor is shunned until he repents.
The Amish are “not ignorant of world events. Many subscribe to local daily newspapers, farm magazines” (Fischetti, 1997, para 24). There are papers published that allow the Amish a way of communicating with their fellow Amish communities. They do prefer to keep their distance from the outside world.
One feature of the Amish is their distinct way of dressing. It is “symbolic of their faith.” (Fischetti, 1997, para 9) Amish women wear modest dresses made from solid-color fabric. These dresses are usually long sleeve and full skirt, not shorter than halfway between their knees and the floor and a covered with a cape and apron. The clothing is fastened with straight pins or snaps. Women’s hair is never cut. It is worn in a bun and concealed in a white prayer covering. No jewelry or printed fabric is worn. (Fischetti, 1997)
“Amish men wear dark-colored suits, straight-cut coats, trousers, suspenders, solid colored shirts, black socks, shoes and black or straw wide brimmed hats.” (Fischetti, 199I, para 10) Children’s clothing are a smaller version of adult. The Amish do not vary from their way of dressing. This makes them unique and stand out amongst the outside world.
The Amish do not use modern inventions. It is considered an interference with their simplicity and traditional lifestyle. The Amish feels “worldly things, take people away from the simple life.” (Ennis, 2010, para 3). They are not looking for change as they are happy with their way of life. The Amish feel that eliminating “numerous electronic gadgets, eliminating radio and television encourages family interaction.” (O’Neil, 1997).
The Amish is traced back to the 16th century. They evolved out of the Mennonite secondary to with both groups stemming from Anabaptist tradition meaning “rejection of infant baptism reserving the rite for consenting adults.” (O’Neil, 1997, para 2). The Anabaptist proposed a return to the New Testament Christianity and thus a congregational structure conducting themselves in simplicity with minimal contact with the outside world. (O’Neil, 1997). The Amish separated from the Anabaptist to become their own community to practice their faith. The Amish have “preserved Christian rituals that have been simplified and re-interpreted. (O’Neil, 1997, para 7).
The Amish’s philosophy comes from the Bible, “to remain apart from dominant cultures.” (Wittmer, 1970, para 2). The Amish feels that their peculiarities put them “closer to God.” (Wittmer, 1970, para 2). The Amish believe in “humility and simplicity.” (O’Neil, 1997, para 6).
The Amish do not have church structures. “Amish theology rejects the dominant church form assumed historically by Christianity with its councils, hierarchy, sacramental system, systematic theology, and scriptural interpretation within an evolving tradition.” (O’Neil, 1997, para 7) The Amish community is “divided into church districts of 150 to 200 people. (Fischetti, 1997, para 18)
They use their homes as their place of worship, which they share with their community. “They meet twice monthly, rotating from home to home, allowing each family once a year to serve as host.” (O’Neil, 1997, para 7). There is not a set format for the services and the services are done in German with scripture reading and German hymns being sung. “The preachers are expected to speak spontaneously and without preparation, drawing on the scriptures.” (O’Neil, 1997, para 7). The service can last up to 3 hours. After the service, there is a “communal meal and general socializing.” (O’Neil, 1997, para 7).
The Amish community is a simple people who work hard to preserve their way of life. They are gentle, gracious people who hold their own and are knowledgeable in growing crops and various trades. Their lifestyle sets them apart from the rest of the world. The numbers of Amish are continually increasing due the large family size, which makes it harder and harder for the Amish to find communities to settle down in. They are faced with challenges on a day to day basis and have found the ability to survive and become a thriving community.

REFERENCE
Metin M. Cosgel (1993) Religious Culture and Economic performance: Agriculture Productivity of the Amish, 1850-1880. The Journal of Economic History, Vol. 53, No. 2, (June 1993), pp. 319-331 http://www.jstor.org/stable/2122997
J. Ennis (2010, March). Growing Up Amish. Faces, 26(6), 20-32. Retrieved February 19, 2012, from Proquest Center. (Document ID: 2031483601)
P R Fischetti (1997). The Amish. The Ethnic Culture of America. Washington: 1997. Vol. 10007—I, p. 172-177 (8 pp.).
Daniel O’Neil, J. (1997). Explaining the Amis. International Journal OF social Economics, 24 (10), 1132-1139. Retrieved February 19, 2012, from ProQuest Social Science Journals. (Document ID: 116352114).
Joe Wittmer (1970). Homogeneity of Personality Characteristics: A Comparison between Old Order Amish and Non-Amish American Anthropologist , New Series, Vol. 72, No. 5 (Oct., 1970), pp. 1063-1068. Published by: Blackwell Publishing on behalf of the American Anthropological Association Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/671418