The Amish in America

Environment and Human Adaptation

The group of people that I picked for my Enthography project were the Amish. The Amish movement was founded in Europe during 1693. High taxes, high rents, inflation, wars and rumors of wars, the military draft, and religious persecution encouraged believers to leave Europe. In 1681, William Penn, an English Quaker received ownership of the land that would eventually become the state of Pennsylvania. He decided to try a "Holy Experiment:" to establish a colony that would allow religious toleration. This was a relatively novel concept at the time. Amish, Quakers, Mennonites, Moravians, Schwenkfelders and others in Europe responded to the opportunity by moving to the area. The Amish settled primarily in three locations in Pennslayvania, Eight settlements in what are now Berks, Chester, Lancaster and Lebanon counties to the west of Philadelphia, One settlement in Mifflin County in the center of Pennsylvania, and Three settlements in Somerset County in south-west Pennsylvania. A large part of the Amish community in our modern era resides in Lancaster, PA. Lancaster climate fluctuates with the four seasons. They receive an annual rainfall of 38 inches and also have a snowfall of 7.5 inches, in where the temperature during the winter ranges from 19 degrees to 50 degrees F. In the summer seasons the temperature can range from 54 to 85 degrees. The fall being 25 to 65 degrees and the spring can range from 39 to 81 degrees. Lancaster has a population of 56,348 people, 51.2 % female and 48,8 % male. Most of the Amish live within the rural areas of the city; usually the population is made up of the Amish themselves. The Amish refuse any modern luxuries and rarely see doctors. They have higher incidences of genetic disorders, like dwarfism (Ellis-van Creveld syndrome) and metabolic disorders. However, recent medical studies have shown, because of their "clean" living, they are 70 % less likely to have cancer than any other group in their state. This is attributed to a life style of no tobacco and alcohol.

Language and Gender Roles

  The vast majority of Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonites across North America speak two languages fluently, Pennsylvania German (popularly known as Pennsylvania Dutch) and English. A small minority known as the Swiss Amish, who live mainly in southern Indiana, speak a form of Bernese Swiss German instead of Pennsylvania German. The Amish speak Pennsylvania German among one another and it is the language of sermons in church. English is used mainly with non-Amish relatives and friends, but it is also the dominant medium of literacy. While most Amish have a good reading knowledge of the standard German of the Bible and other religious texts, they read and write mainly in English. English is the medium of instruction in Amish parochial school. Although the Amish originally comprised only a small minority of the Pennsylvania German-speaking population, they and the Old Order Mennonites are the last groups to use the language actively and pass it on to their children. Maintenance of both Pennsylvania German and standard German has become an important symbol of Amish identity and a tangible connection with their spiritual heritage.

  The gender roles in an Amish family are clearly set, with the male being the dominant within their society. However, there are many incidents when different households might take the role of the wife or husband, depending on the need of the situation. Amish men are not above helping with the children when necessary or allowing their wife's business to be the primary source of income. Men will help in the garden when necessary and when asked, and women will help in the barn or the shop when necessary, regardless of their other household or financial responsibilities. Much like in the modern world, as time continues, women are taking larger roles in providing household income, especially if they are without young children to care for. The gender roles within the entire Amish society are well defined, but within each household it might be different. Within the religious platforms of the Amish society, men are the established Church leaders, they are the only ones allowed to obtain leadership positions within the Church. The women are allowed to vote on church matters but are forbidden to take any leadership role. The women are the primary educators of their society. In their community schools, the teachers are all women and the responsibility of the school teacher is to make sure that the children have a proper education until the eight grades. The children at an early age are taught their place in society. Even the youngest members of the family are taught the discipline of work according to their sex. Boys that become strong enough to handle a certain work load are expected to help their father in whatever business they are in. If the father is a carpenter, the young boy is expected to help his father by cleaning the shop, getting tools ready, and listening without question to what his father says. Young girls begin learning through household chores; their mothers usually will start assigning tasks around the house. It could either start by asking a young girl to start sweeping, or if they are older to help sew clothes for the family. Children are taught gender roles through the work they are assigned. The protagonist in the story of "The Blessed Curse", would have not been accepted well within the Amish. The Amish are heavily influenced by Judeo-Christian values and hold the Bible as the complete literature that has the authority of their lives. They would have probably outcast the child at birth or if the family wanted to keep the child they would outcast the entire family.

Substience and Economy

   Farming is the occupation desired by most Amish. All family members are integrated into an agricultural way of life. It begins at an early age, the youngest member help in the farm and household chores.  The Amish keep their farms small enough to be handled by the family unit. Family-size farms have consistently been productive, serving to meet the needs of the community rather than to earn large profits. Sweet corn, celery, beets, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, peas, and a wide variety of other vegetables are grown in the typical Amish garden. The Amish diet consists of a lot of carbohydrates, this is because they are physically working all day and need the energy. Some of the Amish also hunt, mainly deer if it is in season. Amish have a wide variety of modern food sources available to them. Their meals can consist of steak and eggs, poultry and vegetables, or they will go to the local restaurant. Most of their food sources are readily available to them all year long. The division of labor between men and women in an Amish agriculture environment is based heavily on the family construct. The men will plow and plant the seeds and do all of the physically demanding aspects of the farm. However, women also take part in physically demanding work on the family farm. Women are responsible for maintaining certain aspects of the farm and also to pick the daily rations. Unfortunately, even with the access to all modern foods, the Amish do not have a very nutritional diet. Their food are considered "filling" foods, basically they are more inclined to eat foods that have a lot of fat content then a nutritional one. Especially the men of the Amish feel that because they are doing physically demanding work, it is better to have a full stomach. The Amish have had regularly available food and goods since their entry into the United States. The Amish through agriculture often do find themselves in surplus of goods. The farms that the Amish have are usually small and made that way because it is easier for one family to use the land/ The Amish believe in having enough to survive, therefore do not believe in large lands and hiring employment. They feel that will result in a economical hierarchy, so if a family does get a larger than usual crop, it goes back to the community. The Amish are on large community, they do not believe in excess or waste. Their members are all taken care of, if there is a surplus it is distributed, based on need, back to the community. The Amish are expert farmers, what keeps the Amish not as advance in their respective fields is that Amish do not embrace new technology. They are great carpenters, builders, and craftsman; however they are readily only needed within their own community. Very seldom an Amish will be employed by a non Amish resident. The Amish as describes above do practice redistribution of goods, it is a very communal society. There is no wealthy and there should not be any poor within their community. However, there isn't a central power that forcefully takes any goods to redistribute. Each individual is expected to share if they have extra. It is engrained within the Amish from a young age, if any Amish wishes to have more of a modern material existence, then they are encouraged to leave their group and enter the modern world. the Amish currency is the same currency the United States has in use. The Amish will deal with U.S. currency with outsiders and even within themselves. There are cases in smaller communities that goods or services are exchanged. The negative effect of currency on the Amish is evident. The Amish can not function without trade with the outside world, so that has intruded on their way of life. They can not just stay in their communities anymore, now they are forced to interact with the outside world.

Marriage and Kinship

   The Amish practice a monogamous type of marriage. The Amish, unlike average Americans marry relatively young. The age range is usually in the early-twenties, and on the average males are about one year older than their female partners. There is a social practice that all Amish practice when they become sixteen years old. The practice is called the "Rumspringa", the root words mean the "Running Around". Every member must participate, but there are differences on how they participate. Some of the teenagers practice by staying close to the community and organizing Bible groups. There are however some that completely go against the Amish belief. The behaviors of these teens does not alienate them from the community, it is accepted that some will go this route. There is an equal amount of leniency granted to both sexes. There is complete gender equality at this time. The teenagers are permitted to go out and participate in all of the things the world has to offer. After, this time if the teen feels they want to stay in the Amish lifestyle he or she can become baptized and now are eligible for marriage within the community. The Amish believe in individual decisions about life and therefore do not pressure children into any marriage; in fact they have little or nothing to do with it. Young men and women are allowed to pick whoever they seem as a proper mate for marriage. When the man and the women choose each other and set a wedding date, the wedding dowry starts to be prepared. The Amish pride themselves on minimal living so the bride's dowry is usually practical things that the bride's mother has collected. The items can include dishware, kerosene lamps, linens, clocks, canned foods, and farming tools. The bride's parents are responsible for providing the major furnishings that will be used in the newlywed's new home. Although the women have fewer rights to leadership roles among the Amish, they are however very respected once a wedding date is set. Both the man and the women are thought of as equals within the relationship, the women s considered the strength that makes the man go out and earn a living. With marriage Amish parents do not usually get involved with their children’s choices; however there are exceptions when it comes to inter-family marriage. The Amish do not allow first cousins to marry, they will however allow third and farther down the line cousins to marry. After the young couple is married they usually will stay in the bride's family home until spring where they would seek out their own home. The Amish stay within a very close community, they do not live far away from there close relatives. The Amish have a very passive attitude when it comes to individual family homes and how they are run. They do draw the line when it comes to homosexuality. This is a taboo to the Amish people and would not tolerate it within their communities. If someone comes out as homosexual, the Amish will excommunicate the individual and the family that harbors that person.

   The Amish are a very close community and one way or another they are all related either through birth or marriage. The family is a very close unit, but the Amish do consider their entire community as brothers and sisters. There is the obvious closeness that is given between the core family units; however the Amish do not deviate from the idea that the entire community is a family. In the families within the community and the community as a whole the majority of the authority is given to the eldest fathers. The father in the household is considered the head and authority. The descent lines are clear; regarding inheritance, the father of a family will leave all his inheritance to his eldest son. There are exceptions when a father will spread the inheritance between multiple sons. The women do not receive a share of the inheritance, they are supposed to be taken care of by their husbands, or if they are not married, their brothers must provide for them. The naming patterns within the Amish are the same as what modern era Americans use. They have separate names for parents, uncles and aunts.

Social and Political Organization

The Amish are primarily an egalitarian society; however complete equal rights are not given to every citizen. The men within the community are allowed to obtain leadership positions, the women only are allowed to play a supportive role to the leadership. The Amish do not believe in social status, all families are equal and should not seek notoriety. To even take pictures within the Amish is considered vanity.

  Modern day Amish in the United States must adhere to the laws and rules of the land. They are not allowed to police themselves or even govern themselves past Church and religious leadership. They do however have a counsel of elders that unofficially enforce and govern within the community. The differences between the Amish and the rest of America are that the Amish are not held to pay certain taxes and adhere to certain educational perquisites. The Amish do not pay Social Security and only send their children to school until the eight grades. The government does not force them to pay into these systems. The Amish do not participate in any sort of politics, hey do not vote or actively seek out any public office. The Amish in early dates had been the source of great controversy regarding state laws. They have fought long to secure their rights and that is regarded as the only time the Amish were ever involved in politics. The Amish are also a source of great controversy regarding their lifestyle. Many political commentators have stated that the Amish were able to make Socialism work in America. Conservative commentators claim that the Amish are the first to make a complete religious authority society work in America.

   The Church and its elders are the sole authority for the Amish. The Church leaders are made up of solely married males that are voted in. In Church elections everyone who has been baptized within the Amish are allowed to vote. This is one of the rare times where men and women are completely equal in the Amish. The leadership position is held either until death or the member has become to old to continue, then they would have another election. The Church is the authority and the usual way the punish offenders is by ex communicating the offender. If any other crime is committed the Amish are expected to inform the police and they are subjected to the punishment of the state. In this portion of the Amish I tried to remain unbiased but it is very hard when it comes to violence. The Amish practice what i believe to be one of the greatest ways of dealing with violence inflicted on a group of people. The Amish are extreme pacifists, they do not believe in violence in any sense. On October 6, 2006 an insane gunmen, Charles Carl Roberts went into a Amish schoolhouse and opened fire, killing 5 children and wounding another 5 children. When the police were called a finally made it into the classroom, the police stated that there wasn't any part of that classroom that did not have blood on it. The country was outraged at the murder of these innocent children. Days later, the grandfather of one slain little girl went to the wife of the gunmen and extended a hand of forgiveness. The act of forgiving such a heinous act just speaks of how the dedication to peace the Amish are. There were many controversies about that but there are only a few moments in our modern lives where we will see a group of people actually practice what they preach. Later on the Amish community found out that the gunmen's family did not have money to bury him, so the Amish gathered money to pay for his funeral. The Amish act of forgiveness has resonated with me until today and was one of the reasons I wanted to do this project on them.

Religion and Art

      The Amish religion is based on the tenets of early Christianity. They believe the Bible is the Word of God and the Church is the body of Christ. The Amish religion grew out of the Anabaptist reformers. The Anabaptists believed that formal theological training was not necessary and that the lay man was able to lead Church services. The Amish believe the use of religious icons are a form of idolatry and that formal rituals are merely a distraction from true worship. The Amish take the statement from the Bible that Christians must separate themselves to the literal word. They do not believe in any modern technology and believe the use of it is against the will of God. The Amish practice a monotheistic Christian religion. They believe in complete salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Anabaptists, that became the Amish, believed that the Protestant and Catholic religions had become corrupt. They believed that because of the corruption of the two institutions took away from the true worship of God. When they were able to migrate to America they could finally be in control of the society they thought was the correct one. The most unique part of the Amish is there complete isolation from the outside world. The Amish do not believe in any modern form of technology and even in this modern era they make few compromises when it comes to technology. If they need to travel from one place to another, they use a horse and buggy. The Amish also do not believe in infant Baptisms, they believe that the only real way for belonging to the body of Christ is to accept it at an age that you can make that choice. The Amish funeral is exactly like Amish weddings described earlier, they are simple and held at the deceased home. There are no flowers and there isn't a eulogy for the departed. The Christian religion is the complete foundation of the Amish people. Without the religion the Amish would cease to exist. Their whole life and everything that surrounds it is based on their Christian faith.

     

The Amish and the world of art is a tricky relationship. The Amish emphasize that art being done for art's sake is a sin of vanity. The Amish however create beautiful quilt, rugs and handcrafted furniture. This could be labeled as their art form. Their craftsmanship within these forms has given them a unique culture identity in art. The Amish quilts are expressive in color and design. This is because the Amish are celebrated their love for nature. The Amish use this medium as there only expressive art form. They are not allowed to dance, or express themselves in that manner. The Amish are not allowed to have any type of performance arts; they believe that performance art in any form is a source of vanity. The only other form of art that is allowed is singing in Unisom religious hymns.

Cultural Change

 The Amish have been affected by other cultures. However, they have been able to maintain a lot of control of their society. The main influence other cultures have on the Amish is trade. When the Amish sells or buys products this is where they come in contact with other cultures. Also, during their traditional Rumspringa, the young are allowed to set outside the Amish world. During this time many youth decide not to come back and join the Amish. They felt as though the world and another life had more to offer them.

I believe the Amish are still thriving and not really in danger of being lost. There is however been a drop in membership after the Rumspringa. Many youth are taking the time they are allowed to leave the Amish community as a chance to obtain a new life. The number of youth coming back to the Amish community are still generally high, there is however a trend not to come back until a couple of years.

The Amish community in my opinion does not serve as an influence to modern society. The Amish themselves do not vote or participate in any type of politics. They stay within themselves and chose to try to govern only the actions within their community. There influence on modern America is very weak.

Sources:

http://www.religioustolerance.org/amish.htm

http://www.cityoflancasterpa.com/lancastercity/cwp/view.asp?A=3&QUESTION_ID=564385

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/3348

http://claritaslux.com/blog/peculiar-language-amish/

http://www.everyculture.com/North-America/Amish-Economy.html

http://www.welcome-to-lancaster-county.com/amish-barn.html

http://www.amishmennonitequilts.com/giving.html

http://www.amishnews.com/amisharticles/religioustraditions.htm

http://www.lewrockwell.com/anderson/anderson53.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish_school_shooting

http://pittsburgh.about.com/cs/pennsylvania/a/amish_3.htm

http://www.welcome-to-lancaster-county.com/amish-art.html

Also there is a great documentary called "Devil's Playground", it follows Amish teens during Rumspringa, it details there interactions with the outside world and their Amish Community.