The ultimate purpose in their life is to serve Christ and live a simple and austere life. They believe that Christ is the Lord of the church and so he is their leader and the bible is their government; the Bible is taken literally. The Amish have no churches, meeting halls, agencies, or groups because they think the loyalty to the group will interfere with their loyalty to Christ. Therefore, services and meetings are held in their homes. Each district has one bishop, two to four preachers, and one elder. If more than 75 people are in the district,they will divide and create a new district, since they meet in each other’s homes. The only way they will accept a new gadget or technology into their society is if it keeps their lives simple and does not hinder their family-stressed lives. After the 8th grade, Amish believe children do not need any additional formal education so they work on the family’s farm or business until they are married. When married, the couple adds onto the home of the daughter’s and lives there.
Education
The Amish do not educate their children past the eighth grade, believing that the basic knowledge offered up to that point is sufficient to prepare one for the Amish lifestyle. Almost no Amish go to high school, much less to college. In many communities, the Amish operate their own schools, which are typically one-room schoolhouses with teachers (young unmarried women) from the Amish community. These schools provide education in many crafts, and are therefore eligible as vocational education, fulfilling the nationwide requirement of education through the 10th grade or its equivalent. There are Amish children who go to non-Amish public schools, even schools that are far away and that include a very small Amish population. For instance, there have been some Amish children who have attended Leesburg Elementary School in Leesburg, Indiana (about 12 miles (19 km) from Nappanee, Indiana), because their families lived on the edge of the school district. In the past, there have been major conflicts between the Amish and outsiders over these matters of local schooling. But for the most part, they have been resolved, and the educational authorities allow the Amish to educate their children in their own ways. Sometimes, there are conflicts between the state-mandated minimum age for discontinuing schooling, and the younger age of children who have completed the eighth grade. This is often handled by having the children repeat the eighth grade until they are old enough to leave school. In the past, when comparing standardized test scores of Amish students, the Amish have performed above the national average for rural public school pupils in spelling, word usage, and arithmetic. They performed below the national average, however, in vocabulary.
Work
With an average of seven or eight children per Amish family, each member plays a part in the family's economic survival. On a farm, an individual's work and responsibilities directly affect the family. Each person is less an individual and more a member of the family, with responsibilities that contribute. A "paycheck" comes daily in the form of food, clothing, shelter and affection.
Chores are fairly clearly divided by gender role in the Amish home. Men usually work on the farm, with women helping from time to time, if needed. Men are also mainly in charge of financial matters, while women do the cooking, washing, cleaning, etc. Children grow up identifying with the parent of their gender. Boys tag along behind their father, and girls stay indoors to help their mother. There are, of course, many exceptions to this, but men are to be the head of the household.
While farming was not an integral tenet of Anabaptism, agriculture has always been a major part of the Amish lifestyle. Believing that practical knowledge, hard work and long hours are the "technological marvels" that make farm life fruitful, the Amish practice impressive levels of thrift and self-sufficiency, which they believe are mandated by the Bible. Farming is not merely a job or career; it is viewed as a way of life anchored in Scripture, blessed by God and handed down over the generations by Amish ancestors. It provides a seedbed for nurturing strong families in the values of hard work, frugality, responsibility, simplicity and family cooperation.
Horses are a trademark identity of the Amish and their farming, used to plow, cultivate and harvest crops. Tractors are commonly used on Amish farms, but only for power around the barn - to blow silage to the top of large silos, power feed grinders, spin ventilating fans and the like. They are not used for field work. Why the distinction? Over the decades since the invention of the tractor in the early 1920s, several versions were rejected for field use, most notably because of the fear that their self-propelled, mobile nature would surely lead to cars. Moreover, using horses in the fields helps to limit the size - and corresponding cost - of Amish farms, thereby promoting equality and protecting the small family farm. Horses also maintain a slower farming pace, preserving jobs that are the heartbeat of the Amish community.
Over time, additional farm equipment with independent powers sources (such as wagons, corn planters, plows and sprayers) was permitted on the fields to increase productivity, as long as it was adapted for horse-drawn use. Pulling such modern machinery with horses is a compromise that preserves the Amish tradition and identity while allowing just enough progress for farmers to remain competitive.
A large number of the Amish earn a living in non-farming occupations. This is because Horse-drawn equipment became increasingly scarce after 1940, as more American farmers began using tractors. Consequently, several Amish mechanics opened machine shops to refurbish horse-drawn implements, and welders and mechanics began producing parts to repair the equipment. Taking a major turn, they also began buying equipment designed for tractors and adapting it for use with horses. Thus, somewhat ironically, the Amish were nudged into business in order to preserve their horse farming in the face of a booming agriculture business enamored with tractors.
By the 1970s, making a living by farming was becoming more difficult. The increasing Amish population, coupled with decreasing farmland and higher prices, made getting started difficult or impossible for some. Others found the payments on the farm, building, loans, mortgages and interest a hardship. One alternative was to move to another area where farmland was available and cheaper. Others looked at ways to supplement their income by having a family member work out for others, sometimes on a carpentry crew, as a farmhand, or as a cleaning lady in homes of non-Amish. But of most concern to the Amish was the concern of known as the "lunch pail" problem - the possible necessity of having to work in a factory. They were concerned about work that involved going outside the family and community for economic survival, fearing it could drive a wedge into the family and cause disruption.
A good compromise between farming and factories came to be in the 70s and 80s - that of Amish manufacturing shops and cottage industries. During this period of explosive business growth, Amish entrepreneurs ventured into industry within the Amish community, then to non-Amish neighbors, then to tourists. Over the years, they have found that Amish industry has enriched community life. Work remains near the home, family members often work together, and financial resources are kept within the community. Moreover, Amish control eliminates Sunday sales, fringe benefits, adverse personnel policies and other influences that sometimes accompany factory employment.
There are Four types of Amish industries consume much of work that is done away from the farm:
1.Cottage industries located on farm or beside home: crafts, repair work, light manufacturing
2.Large shops: farm machinery, lawn furniture, storage sheds, etc.
3.Mobile carpentry and construction crews: contruct homes, install kitchens, build silos
4.Retail stores: sell hardware, appliances, clothing, furniture, quilts and crafts for the Amish community, non-Amish neighbors and tourists
Amish shops produce an amazing variety of products and services. Woodworking trades comprise the largest cluster of enterprises - furniture building, cabinet making and storage barn and gazebo construction, as well as more general woodworking activity. Smaller wood products, such as doghouses, birdhouses, cupolas, picnic tables, and lawn furniture also flow from Amish shops. The small storage sheds widely distributed in several states are another popular product of Amish carpentry shops.
Recreation
Amish children in particular enjoy playing many games. Rather than going away from the home to parks or movies, children enjoy activities in the house and around the farm. With animals and wide open spaces, the farm is an exciting, although sometimes dangerous, playground. Amish chidren find games everywhere---swinging a cow’s tail, chasing each other around the barn, climbing in the hay, pulling wagons, and imitating their parents. Children also get together at school and after church. Baseball is the most popular activity in the school yard. Many activities normally considered work are forms of recreation for the Amish adult. Quilting bees and frolics are an enjoyable mixture of work, socializing, and recreation.
Some Amish do travel, making trips to visit Amish in other states, but also sometimes to museums, the zoo, or places of interest. Members of one Lancaster family like to make a visit to the airport, simply to watch the planes taking off and landing. They rent a bus and driver for the trip. Some Amish enjoy an occasional trip to eat out, or a birthday party at a local restaurant.
The most popular leisure activity for the Amish seems to be visiting. This may include everyone from relatives and the sick to non-Amish friends. Staying home is not a dreaded experience of isolation for the Amish. It means being immersed in the chatter, work, and play of the extended family.
My reflection
I feel that the Amish way of living is very relaxing and peaceful. The Amish people have a very close-knit community and they have large, bonded families. Although they refuse the luxuries of technologies, they thrived through hard work and iron discipline. The Amish community is very discplined and there are very little cases of crime. This is because the Amish children are taught the correct values through their parents, who use discipline their children harshly. The Amish community is so bonded together that every person knows each of their counterparts very well. This is the kind of spirit that is lacking in us city dwellers nowadays. The Amish create a kind of utopia where everbody is equal and life is simple but peaceful.
However, there are also disadvantages with the Amish way of living. This is because the Amish are isolated from the rest of the world and refuse advanced technology, prefering to stick to the old ways. Therefore, more people would die of sickness because the Amish do not have advanced medical technolgy to save patients, who would not die if they were given the advanced medical care.
In conclusion, I feel that the Amsih way of living is better than urban living, to a certain extent. If there is a way to put technology and the Amish way of living, then it would create a utopia for us all.
No comments:
Post a Comment