Breaking Amish Values

The Amish is a group of traditionalist Christians that rely on simple living, plain dress and refuse to adapt to modern technology. The history of the Amish started in Switzerland in 1693 led by Jakob Amman. Today majority of the traditional descendants of the Amish live in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

The Lancaster County Amish are a group of people living in Pennsylvania who have the same faith and beliefs of a simplistic lifestyle. The Lancaster Amish are private people who believe that God wants them to live a simple and faithful life. They live a very modest lifestyle because they believe that God has a personal interest in their lives, which allows them to stick together despite what is going on in the outside world. Instead of believing in rituals and religious symbols, the Amish applies religion to their every day life. Church is very important to them, as it is an act of worship and a renewal of faith of the community. They also hold a baptism ceremony, which allows young teens/ adults to decide if they want to stay in the Amish

The American Experience filmed an episode called “The Amish: Shunned” featuring several former Amish community members. Throughout the episode, we see scattered clips of them telling their stories of what they have dealt with after leaving their settlements. They grew up in a home with strict regulations that believe modern technology and urban life leads to a life of sin and emptiness. The typical Amish lifestyle resembles the everyday life of the American pilgrims with everything from their bonnets to their religious views. From having left 6 weeks to 20 years ago, the people in the special all share similar feelings of inadequacy and dissatisfaction with the way they lived in the colonies. As the show continues, it provides

It’s very easy to find the differences between Amish and American societies and even though it may not seem like it at first glance there are some similarities between the two. Such as religion, yes America has a diverse set of religion, but both societies believe the right to religious freedom. That is why Amish societies are located in America because they are allowed to express their religion. Another similarity in both societies is education. Even though Amish children mostly only go to an eighth grade education, both societies prepare the children for adulthood and teach them skills that will help them in society.

The children of the household worked chores around the farm. Boys would plant and harvest the crops while the girls worked in the house much as tailoring clothes and cooking. Few families preferred education over farming. However, in large cities like New York and Philadelphia, male children would learn as apprentices. Women would worked in the clothing business.

Amish children are considered to be done furthering their education after 8th grade. At this point, the young women are to learn how to manage the household. Likewise, the young men learn how to manage and maintain the farm. Amish people do not allow people to join the military, because “they follow the biblical aspect of love thy neighbor and forbids violence and active military service” (AmishCountry.org, 2015). Alternative treatments are what they use instead of seeking professional help, but when that fails they do what is necessary (AmishCountry.org, 2015). “Amish pay state, federal and county taxes and usually refuse Social Security benefits” (AmishCountry.org, 2015). Their faith and religion makes it mandatory for them to care for their

With their death came many situations that needed solutions -harsh solutions- that almost drifted the family apart. Losing them forced Matt to act like an adult at the tender age of seventeen. Knowing that his parents are gone, Matt made sure that he looked after his little sisters while their older brother Luke was away looking for odd jobs that could support the family. In fact, his idea of babysitting was bringing his younger sisters to the pond. He taught them about the ecosystem in the pond - how the different beings in the pond lived. In a passage, Katie recalls the effect their parents’ death made on Matt: “..everyone assumed that I was the one most affected..[but] I had Matt to turn to..[he] had nobody” (102). Everyone assumed that he would just cope with the tragedy because he was expected to. After all, he was turning into an adult. Although he was pushed to the responsibility prematurely, Matt still stepped up and did the best he can to raise his little

Mattie; however, is not considered able to live and support herself and is considered a burden her family members. Because of this she is moved around

In the Northeast portion of the United States there are many different cultures, some extravagantly different than others. Many of these are not fully understood by the average man such as the Amish and Mennonites. Within the 50+ miles between Harford County, Maryland and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania there are many differences but also many similarities. Family Time, transportation and lifestyle are a few examples. With many differences, both of these cultures are worthy of appreciation, respect and education of the ways of life all of which are about to be explored.

Most people seem to know very little about the Amish besides their antique clothing and horse-drawn modes of transportation. To understand the Amish better, some key concepts include the history of the Amish, their rules of discipline, and

It is considеrеd quitе rarе that pеoplе rеach thе agе of twеnty unmarriеd. Unlikе Amеrican's traditional whitе, bluе is a typical color chosеn for wеdding gowns by young Amish womеn. "An Amish bridе's wеdding attirе is always nеw. Shе usually makеs hеr own drеss and also thosе of hеr bridеsmaids, known to thе Amish as nеwеhockеrs," (Amish Culturеs). Thе stylе of thе drеssеs arе vеry plain and arе mid-calf lеngth. Thеy display no fancy trim or lacе and nеvеr havе a train. Whеn young mеmbеrs arе marriеd, thеy arе oftеn givеn a parcеl of land by onе fathеr. This land is givеn so thе couplе can gеt a hеad start and makе a living. An avеragе Amish farm consists of approximatеly 80 acrеs. Ohio's most popular crops grown arе whеat, oats, clovеr, and corn. In Pеnnsylvania, a widеr sеlеction is raisеd including: corn, hay, whеat, tobacco, soybеans, barlеy, potatoеs, and othеr vеgеtablеs. Thе corn, grain, and hay crops arе usually usеd to fееd thе farm's livеstock. Tobacco, potatoеs, grain, hay, and thе rеmaindеr of vеgеtablеs arе raisеd for markеting purposеs. Farmеrs also grow various grassеs for grazing. Most Amish farming is donе with horsе drawn еquipmеnt with mеtal whееls. Until a fеw yеars ago, farming was thе only way thе Amish folk wеrе ablе to makе a living. This all changеd simply bеcausе of thе fact that soil was no longеr plеntiful. As a rеsult, formеr farmеrs wеnt off to еnjoy woodworking,

Since the family’s origins are in Africa they came from a society with different norms and values. A society composed of many different tribes, each with their own language, customs and traditions. They placed a strong emphasis on the family and kinship ties. Their communities depended on cooperation, assistances and well maintained social order. When a woman was married, she was considered the wife of the family not just the husband (Franklin, 1967-28-31).

Men usually wear Western-style suits for work and out on the street. They also wear Western clothes when going out or relaxing at home

The Amish are a small group of people that live in a secluded area of the eastern United States of America. The cultural group known as the Amish has constituted themselves as a unique entity in America's diverse landscape. Amish life is centered on religion, agriculture, and the family. For most people who live outside of the Amish culture, this group seems out of touch with the present time; a culture of another era. This belief is primarily attributable to the Amish belief in simplicity and their rejection of modern technologies (The Amish 2011). One of the most important aspects of Amish life and livelihood is agriculture; the Amish focus much of their life on the growth and harvest of food and other crops. The various factors that affect the culture are based upon agriculture; including the Amish beliefs and values, economic organization, gender relations, kinship, political organization, sickness, social change, and social organization.

The Amish have a lot of beliefs and values. They follow the basic beliefs of Christian faith, focusing mainly on adult baptism, simplicity, community, and separation from everyone else. Amish are taught to be selfless and put Jesus and the community first, yourself last, and others in between. Obedience, humility, and simplicity are what the Amish express. If they disobey someone, it is considered dangerous to them. They take no pride in what they do because they don’t want to stick out to others. Their clothing, house décor, and architecture is very simple because once again, they don’t want to stand out.