Ethnography of the Amish

Environment
The Amish originated in Switzerland in 1525, but none exist there today. They eventually migrated to North America and presently, they are concentrated in 28 states (70% of which live in the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana) and Ontario, Canada. Within each state, geographical regions are separated into settlements, and within each settlement are church districts or congregations.

Since the Amish are scattered throughout the United States, it is difficult to provide a single description of the climate as it varies depending on the geographical location. Ontario experiences extreme conditions throughout the year, with January being the coldest month (-4°C (25°F)), marked by heavy rainfall and snowfall. On the other hand, the province is humid and warmest in July (23°C (74°F)). Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana are regions of moderate climate with average temperatures of 50.6°F, 32.7 in of snowfall, and 40 in of rainfall.

The Amish reside in rural areas. They do not have a high level of competition for resources with other cultures since they reject, or selectively use them in accordance with their cultural values in order to avoid distractions and preserve intimate family and community relationships. Although modern society is increasingly and heavily dependent on technological innovations, the Amish limit their use and eliminate the need to rely on such resources to function in their daily lives. 

Although in recent years it has been on the road to a steady decline, farming has been an integral part of Amish life as it was a popular occupation. It has also been a beneficial practice that is harmonious to family life and demonstrative of the value of hard work. Within the farming environment, the Amish grow plants such as corn, celery, beets, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, peas, and raise animals such as hens, chickens, pigs, deer, cows, turkeys, ducks, goats, and sheep.

Adaptations
Since the Amish haven’t settled in the United States for a long time and adaptations develop over a long period, physical adaptations to their environment are a reflection of their origins in Switzerland/Europe. For example, the Amish have fair skin because they were not exposed to much sunlight. Therefore, they lack vitamin D production, which is dependent on UV light from the sun.

                                       

Culturally, the Amish have selectively used technology in opposition to the modern developments that challenge traditional ways of life. For instance, the Amish avoid using public power and seek electricity through other sources such as batteries to power buggies, fans, lamps, etc. They believe that the otherwise reliance on public electricity connects them too closely to the secular world, and therefore brings worldy influences that disrupt the private sphere of the home and community. Another cultural adaptation that is exhibited by the Amish is their mode of dress. Women wear dresses with long sleeves, a bonnet, and stockings. Men typically wear suits and coats. Their plain and simple clothing has a dual function that symbolizes their cultural values rooted in tradition, but also serves to keep them warm in cold temperatures. Moreover, the Amish have made strategic use of the agricultural landscape as farming has been a significant foundation to Amish society. As a cultural group, farming has allowed them to preserve and spread their ideals through a sense of community, ethics of hard work, and management of resources.

Language

The Amish speak English as well as a dialect of German known as Pennsylvania German or Pennsylvania Dutch, which belongs to the Indo-European family. Pennsylvania Dutch is unique because it is not a written language, although some attempts have been made in dictionaries and a few books. I believe this is a reflection of the group’s discerning use of technology. Writing can be viewed as a tool of technology. Therefore, in an attempt to decelerate modern advancements, perhaps the Amish did not see written language to be a necessary or urgent task and instead saw spoken language to be sufficient. Moreover, it could be seen as an effort to maintain exclusivity and preservation solely within the Amish community, and in that sense fosters a sense of locality and community that does not spread to the outside world.

Gender Roles

Amish men and women take on conventional gender roles, in which men are the primary breadwinners and women assume a subordinate position and adopt the domestic responsibilities of the household. These gender roles are fairly strictly defined, but crossing over can occur without suffering from negative repercussions. For example, there are some instances where Amish women own their own businesses and their husbands play a secondary role in helping in the operation of the business. Moreover, although men are typically in charge of making spiritual, family, and financial decisions, they still consult with their wives. At the same time, traditional gender roles are instilled upon children through their contributions to the family. Since children are expected to help with chores in the home, males learn to work closely with their fathers in matters pertaining to labor, while females familiarize themselves to internal affairs of cooking and cleaning. Culture has a tremendous influence on gender roles in Amish culture. Gender identities are constructed by the society whereby they perform the roles expected of them by social conventions. Religion is an integral part of their culture, and through this affiliation, the Amish are socialized into specific roles in which men serve as the spiritual leader, and women take on a more nurturing role to provide spiritual support to the children. The protagonist in “The Blessed Curse” would not be accepted in the Amish culture because they uphold beliefs based upon the teachings of the Bible. She would be considered an outsider since it does not recognize transgendered characteristics.
                            

Subsistence

The traditional subsistence pattern of the Amish is agriculture. Farming has been an important occupational source that also fosters familial values and division of labor. Work is divided among men and women. Men typically engage in large-scale labor-intensive activities in the field, while women are involved in small-scale responsibilities such as canning, shucking corn, shelling peas, and quilting. The Amish diet is pretty variable but their consumption is largely based on fresh foods that involve very little processing. Main food items include corn, celery, beets, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, peas, eggs, chicken, beef, pork, and milk. Livestock produce meat year round, but certain fruits and vegetables are only seasonal so they are preserved in cans. They receive adequate nutritional intake as their diet is composed of a good combination of dairy, protein, fruits, vegetables, and breads. It is beneficial that they are able to consume foods that are organically produced, but the recent shift away from agriculture has resulted in the Amish resorting to more store-bought, processed, and packaged foods.

Economic Systems

The Amish produce a surplus of fruits and vegetables since these products are only available in certain seasons. These items are produced in large quantities and then canned so that they can be saved until the winter when they cannot be grown. They do not exhibit specialization of labor since they choose not to use modern labor-saving technologies that maximize productivity and efficiency. Also, the Amish do not practice any form of redistribution of goods or wealth since they prefer to be self-reliant, away from governmental or political systems. The type of currency they use is the American dollar, in the form of cash, check, and credit cards. They participate in trade on a local, national, and global level, by selling goods such as furniture. Although trading has beneficial effects to the economy, it has also been met with negativity in which the promotion of businesses through the use of technology has been seen as a source of controversy. Furniture makers who catalog their products online are frowned upon since this behavior challenges traditional Amish views.

Marriage

                    

The Amish follow a monogamous marriage pattern. Men and women choose their own partners, but the culture follows endogamy rules that require them to marry within the Church. Since the Amish relatively live in isolation, cousin marriages are common as the result of intermingling within the community over several generations. They do not practice any type of economic exchange for the marriage but wedding guests provide gifts, and males and females are equally valued in the relationship although their roles differ. The Amish community is patrilocal, in which the woman lives with her husband and his family. Furthermore, homosexual relationships are absolutely forbidden, as it does not align with the beliefs of the Church.

Kinship

The Amish practice a patrilineal descent pattern, which is a reflection of their highly patriarchal society. Matrilineal descent lines are not completely ignored, but are less emphasized. The father possesses the most authority within the family and inheritance patterns follow such a descent pattern, as goods and property are passed on to the youngest son. Naming patterns in the Amish kinship system are most comparable to the Eskimo system in which the nuclear family is individually identified while relatives are lumped together in categories.

Social Organization and Political Structure

The Amish culture is generally egalitarian. Since their social life is extremely dependent on Biblical principles, and church leaders make up the political structure of the culture, social organization and political structure go hand in hand. The church forbids them from holding political power in the outside government. However, within the community, social organization occurs through church districts, where men are the ones that are able to hold official positions as deacons, ministers/preachers, and bishops. Although men serve as leaders and are responsible for deciding on important community issues, women still maintain the right to vote/nominate as part of their participation as church members. The Amish ministry possess social and political power and are therefore highly respected since they are essentially responsible for the spiritual well-being of its members. Shunning results when in violation of the Ordnung, which sets rules and restrictions in alignment with the Scriptures. This type of punishment ostracizes the member from the community, giving him/her time for reflection in an attempt to alter the individual's behavior.
                         

The Role of Violence

The Amish follow a policy of "non-resistance" and therefore condone retaliation and violence. However, from time to time violence can be present in the form of juvenile crime, church leaders' abuse of power, sexual or physical abuse in the family, etc. Violence is viewed negatively by the culture since such deviant behaviors undermine their Anabaptist values to forgive and love their enemies just as Jesus Christ would.

                           

Religion

The Amish practice Anabaptism, which is a form of Christianity. The religion is monotheistic, having Jesus Christ as the focus of worship. The Amish originated from several different Anabaptist groups during the Protestant Reformation in the 16^th century. The Amish, first and foremost, strictly adhere to the Biblical teachings of Jesus in how they behave in their daily lives. In this manner, they uphold the separation of church and state, and accept the church to hold supreme authority over governmental powers. The Amish believe in voluntary baptism, believing it to be a personal decision to be fully committed to the church, once entering adulthood. Baptism into the Amish church implies a lifelong spiritual promise to live by Christian principles, and deviance from such vows can lead to shunning. Since the culture is entirely predicated upon religion in all aspects of life, the Amish would not be able to function without it.

Art                                   
                               

Amish artwork is primarily a mode of business. Handcrafted goods such as furniture, baskets, and quilts are created, but they generally don’t have much use for art because such creative expression denotes pride, which lies in direct opposition to the ideals of humility and simplicity that they promote. However, the Amish employ music at church as an expression of praise. Church songs are derived from the hymnal called The Ausbund, which recounts the Anabaptist movement of the Protestant Reformation. The Amish do not play musical instruments since it is a form of self-expression, which they believe is a pretentious display of talent. In this manner, art is predominantly used for the sole purpose of enhancing religious expression. Christian hymns are sung in unison to worship as an entire community.

Conclusion: Cultural Change

The Amish culture has been affected by other cultures in its exposure to the modern world. In a way, this has a positive impact on the culture since it gives them the opportunity to reinforce their beliefs and resist conformity in the midst of the secularity and corruption that underlie contemporary culture. At the same time, this can also dangerously lead to a negative impact, if they divert their attention from their core values and become heavily influenced by the pervasiveness of other cultures. However, I believe the Amish culture to be healthy and thriving since they have been self-reliant and persisted over generations. They have a weak influence on the modern world, but as they isolate themselves from the secular world, they maintain a resilient spiritual commitment that serves to preserve their cultural identity. 

Amish children exploring a forklift.
The Amish culture is constantly confronted and tempted with the modernity of other cultures.

Bibliography

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/amish-faq/

http://www2.etown.edu/amishstudies/Index.asp

http://amishamerica.com/amish-online-encyclopedia/

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/amish-out-of-order/amish-101-facts/

http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/A4574ME.html
http://www.amishoriginals.net/

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/04/religious_questions_for_pennsy.html
http://www.advertiser-tribune.com/page/content.detail/id/509804.html?nav=5005&showlayout=0
http://womensspace.wordpress.com/category/womens-birthing-rights/
http://www.mapministry.org/resources/newsletter-folders/2004-newsletters/2004-september
http://www.beachyam.org/choirs.htm