The Similarities Between Amish And Mainstream Society

Amish live a very traditional and simple lifestyle, separating themselves from mainstream America and rejecting many conveniences of modern technology in order to preserve their identity. The Amish focus on agricultural work and live off the land and almost all Amish members are born into the community. he Amish church originates in Switzerland when Jakob Ammann lead a division between Swiss Anabaptist groups in the 18th century. The followers of Ammann became known as the Amish. Many Amish migrated to the USA in the early 18th century to escape persecution. They initially settled in Pennsylvania. Other waves of immigrants became established in New York, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri Ohio, and other states. The Amish who remained in Europe joined with the Mennonite societies in Germany and this led to there being no
remaining pure Amish groups in Europe, despite the Amish and the Mennonites having many similar beliefs.
As mainstream society develops and advances, the Amish way of life has increasingly diverged from society.
For example issues such as taxation, education and the law enforcement has created difficulties between Amish communities and mainstream society. In terms of education the Amish tend to have their own schools, run by the Amish community. This normally does not surpass the 8th grade as the Amish believe that education past this point is unnecessary for an Amish lifestyle. It is very rare for the Amish to attend mainstream schools. The Amish generally do not agree with social security benefits and object insurance on religious grounds and for this reason are not enforced to pay social security taxes in America. For medical care the Amish tend to pay monthly into community funds and then claim from this fund when necessary. In Economic terms Amish communities separate themselves from society and Amish workers are rarely found within mainstream American corporations. The Amish to work within there communities specialising in farming. However in more recent times they have diversified and in some communities up to 80% work in small businesses
(BBC).
The simple style adopted by the Amish is meant to represent the Amish obedience to the church and conformity to the community. In general Amish clothing is plain and durable, with as little decoration as possible. For example buttons are frowned upon in many communities as seen to be too decorative; with hooks and snaps being preferred. Amish men wear dark shoes, socks and pants with suspenders and belts without buckles. A block colour shirt is worn with a vest or jacket depending on the weather. The straw hats are to protect their faces from the sun while doing agricultural work, In winter a thicker felt hat is worn. The dress code has slight variations between communities. Men who are married have to grow an untrimmed beard, when single the face is clean shaven. Amish Women wear block colour skirts and dresses, always covered with an apron. The dresses and skirts are never above calf length. The hair of women must always be covered when in public, when out women wear white headscarfs.
The Amish avoid modern technology in order to preserve their lifestyle and community values. Amish use horseback to travel rather than car. This achievable due to their close-knit communities meaning they rarely have to travel far. Amish are not allowed electricity within the household as this would encourage them to further change there lifestyle. They reject mainstream mass-media and its presented values therefore electronics such as televisions, radios and stereos are not permitted. The Amish church does not allow filming or photography which attempts to restrict the video evidence available, However many documentaries on the Amish can still be found.