Growing up within the Amish sub-culture will certainly present a person with a vastly different experience than what the average youth encounters growing up in mainstream American culture. The Amish have their own set of beliefs, rules, and guidelines which often differ greatly from what is typical in mainstream America. Some of their practices are vaguely similar to American culture, and some seem completely foreign. In his short essay “Growing Up Amish: Building an Amish Identity” Richard A. Stevick explains a bit about what it is like to be raised within an Amish community. Throughout his piece Stevick describes many of the significant cultural practices that are typical within Amish culture.
In Amish culture being unique is not valued like it is in American culture. In fact, in many ways Amish culture strives to avoid individualism. As such, the Amish believe that the whole community is responsible for shaping a person. In his essay Stevick states that, “In mainstream society, young people may flounder for years as they seek to know who they are and where their niche is in a complex, individualistic world” (Pg. 42). The question this should be raising is, why is that a bad thing? Yes, people do often struggle throughout young adulthood. But maybe that struggle is a crucial part of their development as a person. Maybe we are better off going through hardships and struggling to find ourselves rather than being told who we are. It might be the more difficult option but anything worth attaining is usually not going to be easy. Stevick goes on to state, “…by the time they are twenty-one or twenty-two, most have joined the church, are married, and are starting families” (Pg. 43). This could be perceived as a good thing but it has many implications beneath the surface. By jumping into full on adulthood so quickly, Amish young adults are being deprived of a critical part of ones life. The part of our lives where we endure hardships and struggles, and come out on the other side better off for it and with more clarity as to who we are. As a result of skipping this period of ones life they are forfeiting the experience and wisdom that they would have otherwise attained during this time.
An integral part of the Amish culture seems to be the rigidity of it and the lack of choices available. Stevick then explains that, “Unlike mainstream youth, who are confronted with a multitude of vocational, value, and lifestyle choices, the ultimate task of an Amish young person is deciding whether or not to accept an Amish identity” (Pg. 43). This statement shows how much Amish youth are missing out on. By not being challenged by those vocational, value, and lifestyle choices, they are never tasked with figuring out for themselves what they like and dislike or developing their own sense of right and wrong. Mainstream youth do receive guidance from their family, friends, and community, but the bulk of the responsibility lies with them to find their own way and become their own person.
Stevick seems to believe that someone raised in Amish culture has a better chance of growing up to be happy. Stevick states that, “Little formal research has focused on the social skills and psychological well-being of Amish youth, but relatively few of them appear to be depressed, sad, lonely, or hostile” (Pg. 46). While almost all can hopefully agree that these are positive things, Stevick goes on to contradict himself when bringing up the research of Denise Reiling. A sociologist who spent almost ten years studying Amish life, Reiling accumulated over three-hundred hours of interviews amongst a group of sixty Amish. Amidst this group she found that, “’Virtually every participant reported that they experienced social isolation during this time, which generated a high level of depression and anxiety’” (Pg. 49-50). These findings are in stark contrast to those previously stated by Stevick and illuminate the need for more formal research to be conducted in order to truly understand the effects of growing up in an Amish community.
Stevick talks about how Amish youth must decide whether or not to embrace Amish culture. He goes on to say, “Despite the fact that one can find many ex-Amish who express satisfaction with their having left, almost none leave the culture without serious struggles and difficult adjustments to mainstream society” (Pg. 50). It is interesting that he would say this, because this struggle is not unique to the Amish. Anytime a person grows up within a certain culture, no matter what the culture may be, of course they are going to have some difficulties transitioning into a different culture. Just like an American might have trouble with moving to Iran and transitioning to the culture there. The phenomenon is blatantly obvious and shows a lack of understanding on Stevick’s part. By saying that almost all Amish who leave their communities struggle, he is trying to assert that Amish culture is a better way of living and that is why the transition is difficult; not because they are leaving their friends, family, way of life, and everything else they’re accustomed to that they have been raised around since birth.
There are other troubling aspects of Amish culture that Stevick presents in a positive light. For example, Stevick talks about how the accomplishments and character traits of one’s family help give Amish people a positive self-image. People assume that they share those positive attributes and accomplishments just because they are related. Stevick writes, “Those children from highly regarded families are also likely to form positive self-identities, since they benefit directly from the accomplishments and status of their parents and grandparents” (Pg. 43). Stevick seems to look at this as a positive thing, however I think it is exactly the opposite. When one is brought up “directly benefitting from the accomplishments and status” of your parents and grandparents, such as the Amish are, it doesn’t give you much of a reason to go out and achieve your own accomplishments. Likewise, if people assume that you have the same positive character traits as your parents or grandparents, you don’t have much reason to become your own person and develop your own identity and character traits. Stevick also talks about how when Amish youth are around sixteen or seventeen years of age the parents start giving them more freedom. However, as Stevick boasts about how progressive the parents are, it starts to take on some sexist undertones. Stevick writes, “Normally this freedom is demonstrated by parents giving a horse and carriage to each son when he begins going to the singings… Girls rarely have their own carriages… so they are dependent on their brothers or male relatives for rides to singings and other events until the girls begin courting” (Pg. 47). Stevick also leaves a note corresponding to this section which reads, “An Amish father wrote: ‘This sets the pattern of a male being dominant, because girls must get rides from boys to go to gangs and singings. Girls are dependent on the boys’”(Pg. 51). This indicates that the Amish are stuck in the dark ages not only when it comes to technology but in regards social justice as well.
By examining the social practices within Amish culture the stark differences between their sub-culture and American mainstream culture are readily apparent. Their ways of life can be at times familiar to someone raised in American culture and at others significantly different. The fascinating part is that in many ways Amish culture seems to resemble early English culture with striking precision. Indeed this makes sense, considering how the Amish reject many new forms of technology and instead choose to utilize techniques from days gone by. It is based on this that I theorize that Amish culture is incredibly similar to mainstream culture, it is simply a couple centuries behind.
