The Paradox Of The Amish Culture
In our current fast-paced world there is little time to savor every moment, acknowledge our surroundings, and detach from our daily devices. People take everything for granted and contend lack appreciation for our modernized world. Yet, there is a society that functions as an isolated body, stripped of all modern conveniences. The Amish represent themselves as an ideal body but are criticized for many of the traditions and beliefs they support. The paradox of the Amish brand often extricates questions on the methods the modern world abides and puts into question the integrity of them. The Amish civilization serves as a utopia. “Utopia” is a name endowed to an ideal community or society, used to describe both communities that have attempted
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to create an ideal society, and fictional societies usually portrayed in literature. It is also a Greek term which translates to “no-place” thus concluding that this certain place of perfection is practically nonexistent (Eaton). Their viewpoints are comparable to those of the fictional utopian community in the film “The Village” directed by M. Night Shyalaman where the inhabitants lived in a form of the American past barred by a forest said to be populated with wicked, foreboding creatures. The satire is in the fact that it is a “society presented as happy and safe, yet there is a degree of gender inequality, and certain individuals who have transgressed against Utopian society,” (Heiserman).Yet, this is a contradiction just like the Amish community is, due to the fact that the Amish are still flourishing with an 18th century lifestyle and reform in a 21st century domain.
Education
Although obtaining an education is widely promoted in the modern sphere it is lesser emphasized in the Amish life. Their motto relies on the idea of “work as play” where children are allowed to be outside school walls and work with others in order to utilize all available resources. According to Stephen T. Knudsen, “the Amish view the public school as a threat to the continued existence of their community, for the school indoctrinates Amish children in values and attitudes alien to the Amish faith.” Amish children will only attend school up to the age of thirteen, or what is considered 8th grade, believing that the basic knowledge offered is enough for the Amish lifestyle. It is rare for any Amish to enter high school or university. Due to this principle, they have steadily come into conflict with modern society when in the 1850s and 1920’s education reform laws were passed requiring that every child attend high school. The Amish chose to limit their education at eighth grade to focus on the community and to build a nuclear family rather than abide by laws outside of their traditions (Levinson). Educational authorities allow the Amish to educate their children in their own style or craft. Even though there were many conflicts and opinions in the style of the Amish teachings, in he past, when comparing standardizes test score of Amish students, the Amish performed above the national average for public schools in spelling, word usage, and arithmetic. On the other end of the spectrum, stress affects the American public on a daily basis. A prime example of this is the typical life of high school students where stress seems to be all-consuming and can become a detriment to their life. An overwhelming amount of stress can lead to serious physical and mental problems due to sleep deprivation (SD). According to author and senior lecturer at Stanford, Denis Clark Pope, “We are creating a generation of stressed out, materialistic, and mis-educated students.” Apparently the new sign of success and leadership is staying in a constant state of stress with only three to four hours of sleep to show for it. The bottom line is that sleep is a complex cycle necessary for life. Nearly 14 billion dollars as spent in the U.S for the treatment of sleep problems and it had only been recently deemed a significant public health problem (Walsh). It is often greed that is the driving force of the craving for knowledge rather than for the act of simply learning and thus the Amish allow for an explorative mind rather than a constricted or pressured one.
Upbringing
The Amish promote moral righteousness by avoiding temptations and sinful acts thus breeding the “utopian” citizen. Their community relies on the idea that strong relationships are key in yielding a connection to not only each member but with nature, even though they are ironically isolated from the rest of society. Each member has value as they all play a specifically hierarchical role in their society A study of materialistic values among children by psychology professor Tim Kasser found that materialistic children are less happy, have lower self-esteem and report more symptoms of anxiety and less generosity (Priestnitz). The modern family is hooked on social media which promotes the separation of peoples and stronger hold to materialistic propaganda. It is often hard for one to distinguish virtual life from reality. The grand stereotype of the Amish lifestyle is the conviction that these “plain” fortify a suppressive culture that forces children into their domain but in actually they promote “rumspringa”. “During rumspringa the Amish teenager has an opportunity to experience worldly life; many choose to smoke, drink alcohol, or use street drugs, and use modern technology such as cars, telephones, and computers,” (Stoll). This functions as a time set for experimentation determine whether they will remain by choice, not coercion.
Religion
The average American can be caught sipping on a caffeinated drink due to lack of sleep and consuming fast food meals when on the go while adorning imported clothing bought from sites such as Ebay and Amazon. Life is rushed and time is always of the essence. The hot topics of Miley Cyrus’ new outrageous gags, release of the latest iPhone, and criminal activities are flung into the spotlight. It is all a part of the 21st century media culture takeover. Religion is a byproduct of this trend and so in turn the increase in defying religion arises from a modern form of thinking caused by culture, independence, and mental state. Religion is no longer an integral part of life but something that is swept into the recesses of the mind. Journalist and author Elizabeth Wurtzel clearly notes, “Sometimes it feels like we're all living in a Prozac nation. The United States of Depression.” The historic claims of revelation in the ancient sacred texts are insufficiently sustained by questionable oral traditions. It is easy in this day and age to be skeptical and doubtful in order to make new claims similarly to that made in scientific inquiry. Yet, the Amish “focus on the Bible as a guide for daily life,” (Lee). They originated as group of Protestant Christians commonly referred to as the Anabaptists or “re-baptizers” who sought to symbolically cleansed of sin and is “re-born” into the faith. Infant baptisms has become widespread, but the Anabaptists believe that infant baptism is invalid because an infant is incapable of understanding the meaning of the rite. The Amish also believe it is safer to pray in the privacy of their own home, thus the name of “House Amish.” The Amish consider the Bible a trustworthy guide for living and separation from the rest of society is simply based on being a “chosen race.” Any members who break church rules may be called to “confess” before the congregation and those who will not correct their mal behavior are shunned I order to shame the individual into returning to the church. Other members may interact and even help a shunned person, but may not accept anything like a handshake. Excommunicated members will be accepted back into the church, if they return and confess their wrongdoing. Amish society is face with the problem of community self-realization and personal fulfillment for its members in each generation. Life is not meant to be alienated from the whole world but to await their deliverance from Earth to heaven. This reconciliation is achieved by works of virtue that help restore the unity and harmony on Earth. Hence, there is no doubt that faith is necessary in order to ensure the survival of the human race. Faiths have been able to withstand radical changes and harsh criticisms over thousands of years yet the view on it is drastically changing. Just like the Constitution, which is based on morality that religion insists it is promoting, amendments have to be made to continue to withstand the changing times. Defying religion is “in” and following religion is so 2000 B.C. Similarly, the play The Crucible written by Arthur Miller is able to show how religion can easily transform into religious persecution, violence, and serve as a reason to easily remove those who are detested. The town of Salem, by the manipulation of Abigail Williams, was able to be a strong community shunned and killed those who were suspected of heresy. Their belief was that “We conceive the Devil as a necessary part of a respectable view of cosmology. Ours is a divided empire in which certain ideas and emotions and actions are of God, and their opposites are of Lucifer. It is as impossible for most men to conceive of a morality without sin as of an earth without 'sky',” (Miller, 33). Thus, everything was in black and white: you were either a believer or a sinner. In a diversified American nation religion the variation in beliefs can easily lead to a scenario that reflects what occurred in The Crucible.
Food
Amish families often break bread over a hearty meal produced in their very own gardens and farms. Family gatherings are considered large and important occasions. According to the Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Foods and Recipes of the World, rather than attending church services “the Amish hold religious services in different people's homes every Sunday morning. After the service, there is a large Sunday lunch. A typical menu for this meal is homemade bread with butter, jelly or peanut butter.” As a rule, they do not eat processed, store-bought foods, such as corn flakes or potato chips (Karen). Whilst the American diet is based on processed canned or frozen and Amish lifestyle is based on the very opposite principle. Bread is often store bought due to its inexpensive market price but Amish women prefer to bake an assortment of goods such as pies and breads. In a reciprocal fashion the unifying bonds between the Amish community allow the people to rely on each other to harvest all of the crops. The Amish limit the size of each farm so a family can sustain itself without being gluttonous, one of the seven deadly sins.
Economy
Although the Amish stray away from luxury and materialism they are tied to the modern sphere through business ventures.
The ultimate paradox is that the Amish reflect a quality that the rest of society present: refined virtue. They have tried to maintain a stabile environment for themselves, the fluctuating economy has posed as a pressure point. In a sense, the Amish are wealthy, not in regards to income but rather in property value. It is the community that functions as the bank and the insurance company with no interest payment, as it is lacks a borrowing network. It must be taken into account the fact that the Amish spend little on clothing, food, entertainment, and transportation as it is all cheaply made and self-produced down to the raw materials. The business world is a segue into dramatic alterations to the traditional Amish way. In this day and age artificial preservatives are utilized on a grand scale but they can cause allergic reactions such as flushing, itching, nausea, and muscle aching and even long term effects which have been scarcely investigated (Gale Encyclopedia of Diets). This is also an effect of the supply and demand curve where the Amish are able to undergo less stress due to the smaller ration of land size to labor force. The rest of civilization strips itself of what is necessary for nourishment, sacrificing quality for quantity. The Amish use manure instead of fertilizer and completely avoid using pesticides, the polar opposite trend of the rest of America. Horses are used to plow and plant their crops rather than tractors and combines but there have been general changes over the last decade. The Amish have become entangled with non-Amish businessmen who are seeking to have a recognizable brand for all of the benefits of the Amish image. It has been aggressively advertised but what lacks mention is the exchange of “plows to profits” (Kraybil). Despite their best endeavors almost every aspect of their practices are scrutinized,
analyzed, or exploited by the media.
Conclusion:
In the study of Anthropology there must be some sort of objective balance between the multitudes of cultures throughout the planet. The Amish continue to live simply, able to maintain an 18th century lifestyle and reform in a 21st century world. Despite their contrasting customs, Amish life is not as different from American culture as we might believe it to be. Many of their traditions are radical variations of customs we practice here in the United States as a whole assembly. We must respect other cultures; Through varying perspectives both systems are civilized and refined in their own respects. Certain aspects of the Amish culture can be deemed unacceptable, such as their suppression of freedoms within the community through strict regulations. However, we must not forget to reflect upon this and realize that western culture suffers from variations of the same problems no matter what group is described as the “cultural other.”
to create an ideal society, and fictional societies usually portrayed in literature. It is also a Greek term which translates to “no-place” thus concluding that this certain place of perfection is practically nonexistent (Eaton). Their viewpoints are comparable to those of the fictional utopian community in the film “The Village” directed by M. Night Shyalaman where the inhabitants lived in a form of the American past barred by a forest said to be populated with wicked, foreboding creatures. The satire is in the fact that it is a “society presented as happy and safe, yet there is a degree of gender inequality, and certain individuals who have transgressed against Utopian society,” (Heiserman).Yet, this is a contradiction just like the Amish community is, due to the fact that the Amish are still flourishing with an 18th century lifestyle and reform in a 21st century domain.
Education
Although obtaining an education is widely promoted in the modern sphere it is lesser emphasized in the Amish life. Their motto relies on the idea of “work as play” where children are allowed to be outside school walls and work with others in order to utilize all available resources. According to Stephen T. Knudsen, “the Amish view the public school as a threat to the continued existence of their community, for the school indoctrinates Amish children in values and attitudes alien to the Amish faith.” Amish children will only attend school up to the age of thirteen, or what is considered 8th grade, believing that the basic knowledge offered is enough for the Amish lifestyle. It is rare for any Amish to enter high school or university. Due to this principle, they have steadily come into conflict with modern society when in the 1850s and 1920’s education reform laws were passed requiring that every child attend high school. The Amish chose to limit their education at eighth grade to focus on the community and to build a nuclear family rather than abide by laws outside of their traditions (Levinson). Educational authorities allow the Amish to educate their children in their own style or craft. Even though there were many conflicts and opinions in the style of the Amish teachings, in he past, when comparing standardizes test score of Amish students, the Amish performed above the national average for public schools in spelling, word usage, and arithmetic. On the other end of the spectrum, stress affects the American public on a daily basis. A prime example of this is the typical life of high school students where stress seems to be all-consuming and can become a detriment to their life. An overwhelming amount of stress can lead to serious physical and mental problems due to sleep deprivation (SD). According to author and senior lecturer at Stanford, Denis Clark Pope, “We are creating a generation of stressed out, materialistic, and mis-educated students.” Apparently the new sign of success and leadership is staying in a constant state of stress with only three to four hours of sleep to show for it. The bottom line is that sleep is a complex cycle necessary for life. Nearly 14 billion dollars as spent in the U.S for the treatment of sleep problems and it had only been recently deemed a significant public health problem (Walsh). It is often greed that is the driving force of the craving for knowledge rather than for the act of simply learning and thus the Amish allow for an explorative mind rather than a constricted or pressured one.
Upbringing
The Amish promote moral righteousness by avoiding temptations and sinful acts thus breeding the “utopian” citizen. Their community relies on the idea that strong relationships are key in yielding a connection to not only each member but with nature, even though they are ironically isolated from the rest of society. Each member has value as they all play a specifically hierarchical role in their society A study of materialistic values among children by psychology professor Tim Kasser found that materialistic children are less happy, have lower self-esteem and report more symptoms of anxiety and less generosity (Priestnitz). The modern family is hooked on social media which promotes the separation of peoples and stronger hold to materialistic propaganda. It is often hard for one to distinguish virtual life from reality. The grand stereotype of the Amish lifestyle is the conviction that these “plain” fortify a suppressive culture that forces children into their domain but in actually they promote “rumspringa”. “During rumspringa the Amish teenager has an opportunity to experience worldly life; many choose to smoke, drink alcohol, or use street drugs, and use modern technology such as cars, telephones, and computers,” (Stoll). This functions as a time set for experimentation determine whether they will remain by choice, not coercion.
Religion
The average American can be caught sipping on a caffeinated drink due to lack of sleep and consuming fast food meals when on the go while adorning imported clothing bought from sites such as Ebay and Amazon. Life is rushed and time is always of the essence. The hot topics of Miley Cyrus’ new outrageous gags, release of the latest iPhone, and criminal activities are flung into the spotlight. It is all a part of the 21st century media culture takeover. Religion is a byproduct of this trend and so in turn the increase in defying religion arises from a modern form of thinking caused by culture, independence, and mental state. Religion is no longer an integral part of life but something that is swept into the recesses of the mind. Journalist and author Elizabeth Wurtzel clearly notes, “Sometimes it feels like we're all living in a Prozac nation. The United States of Depression.” The historic claims of revelation in the ancient sacred texts are insufficiently sustained by questionable oral traditions. It is easy in this day and age to be skeptical and doubtful in order to make new claims similarly to that made in scientific inquiry. Yet, the Amish “focus on the Bible as a guide for daily life,” (Lee). They originated as group of Protestant Christians commonly referred to as the Anabaptists or “re-baptizers” who sought to symbolically cleansed of sin and is “re-born” into the faith. Infant baptisms has become widespread, but the Anabaptists believe that infant baptism is invalid because an infant is incapable of understanding the meaning of the rite. The Amish also believe it is safer to pray in the privacy of their own home, thus the name of “House Amish.” The Amish consider the Bible a trustworthy guide for living and separation from the rest of society is simply based on being a “chosen race.” Any members who break church rules may be called to “confess” before the congregation and those who will not correct their mal behavior are shunned I order to shame the individual into returning to the church. Other members may interact and even help a shunned person, but may not accept anything like a handshake. Excommunicated members will be accepted back into the church, if they return and confess their wrongdoing. Amish society is face with the problem of community self-realization and personal fulfillment for its members in each generation. Life is not meant to be alienated from the whole world but to await their deliverance from Earth to heaven. This reconciliation is achieved by works of virtue that help restore the unity and harmony on Earth. Hence, there is no doubt that faith is necessary in order to ensure the survival of the human race. Faiths have been able to withstand radical changes and harsh criticisms over thousands of years yet the view on it is drastically changing. Just like the Constitution, which is based on morality that religion insists it is promoting, amendments have to be made to continue to withstand the changing times. Defying religion is “in” and following religion is so 2000 B.C. Similarly, the play The Crucible written by Arthur Miller is able to show how religion can easily transform into religious persecution, violence, and serve as a reason to easily remove those who are detested. The town of Salem, by the manipulation of Abigail Williams, was able to be a strong community shunned and killed those who were suspected of heresy. Their belief was that “We conceive the Devil as a necessary part of a respectable view of cosmology. Ours is a divided empire in which certain ideas and emotions and actions are of God, and their opposites are of Lucifer. It is as impossible for most men to conceive of a morality without sin as of an earth without 'sky',” (Miller, 33). Thus, everything was in black and white: you were either a believer or a sinner. In a diversified American nation religion the variation in beliefs can easily lead to a scenario that reflects what occurred in The Crucible.
Food
Amish families often break bread over a hearty meal produced in their very own gardens and farms. Family gatherings are considered large and important occasions. According to the Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Foods and Recipes of the World, rather than attending church services “the Amish hold religious services in different people's homes every Sunday morning. After the service, there is a large Sunday lunch. A typical menu for this meal is homemade bread with butter, jelly or peanut butter.” As a rule, they do not eat processed, store-bought foods, such as corn flakes or potato chips (Karen). Whilst the American diet is based on processed canned or frozen and Amish lifestyle is based on the very opposite principle. Bread is often store bought due to its inexpensive market price but Amish women prefer to bake an assortment of goods such as pies and breads. In a reciprocal fashion the unifying bonds between the Amish community allow the people to rely on each other to harvest all of the crops. The Amish limit the size of each farm so a family can sustain itself without being gluttonous, one of the seven deadly sins.
Economy
Although the Amish stray away from luxury and materialism they are tied to the modern sphere through business ventures.
The ultimate paradox is that the Amish reflect a quality that the rest of society present: refined virtue. They have tried to maintain a stabile environment for themselves, the fluctuating economy has posed as a pressure point. In a sense, the Amish are wealthy, not in regards to income but rather in property value. It is the community that functions as the bank and the insurance company with no interest payment, as it is lacks a borrowing network. It must be taken into account the fact that the Amish spend little on clothing, food, entertainment, and transportation as it is all cheaply made and self-produced down to the raw materials. The business world is a segue into dramatic alterations to the traditional Amish way. In this day and age artificial preservatives are utilized on a grand scale but they can cause allergic reactions such as flushing, itching, nausea, and muscle aching and even long term effects which have been scarcely investigated (Gale Encyclopedia of Diets). This is also an effect of the supply and demand curve where the Amish are able to undergo less stress due to the smaller ration of land size to labor force. The rest of civilization strips itself of what is necessary for nourishment, sacrificing quality for quantity. The Amish use manure instead of fertilizer and completely avoid using pesticides, the polar opposite trend of the rest of America. Horses are used to plow and plant their crops rather than tractors and combines but there have been general changes over the last decade. The Amish have become entangled with non-Amish businessmen who are seeking to have a recognizable brand for all of the benefits of the Amish image. It has been aggressively advertised but what lacks mention is the exchange of “plows to profits” (Kraybil). Despite their best endeavors almost every aspect of their practices are scrutinized,
analyzed, or exploited by the media.
Conclusion:
In the study of Anthropology there must be some sort of objective balance between the multitudes of cultures throughout the planet. The Amish continue to live simply, able to maintain an 18th century lifestyle and reform in a 21st century world. Despite their contrasting customs, Amish life is not as different from American culture as we might believe it to be. Many of their traditions are radical variations of customs we practice here in the United States as a whole assembly. We must respect other cultures; Through varying perspectives both systems are civilized and refined in their own respects. Certain aspects of the Amish culture can be deemed unacceptable, such as their suppression of freedoms within the community through strict regulations. However, we must not forget to reflect upon this and realize that western culture suffers from variations of the same problems no matter what group is described as the “cultural other.”