The Amish have combined Christianity and having the condition of being easy to understand to create a society that furthers family, community, and happiness in ways that American society and culture have not only been incapable of creating but is directlyopposed to. The Amish, instead of being individualistic, have forgone many of the modern conveniences that we take for granted. The Amish have been able to remove themselves effectively from mainstream American culture and create a seemingly static culture. The Amish, however, are not static but change slowly and deliberately. There have been a number of factors that have contributed to the growth, preservation, and change in Amish culture. Large Amish families and the use of modern medicines and nutrition have led to fewer mortalities and encouraged population growth. Amish schools and education socializes youth to Amish values so that they tend to remain part of the Amish church. Amish economic practices ranging from the size of farms to the use of draft horses also functions to serve and protect Amish culture. The impedes for social change is largely caused by, but not limited to, economic factors. But Amish social change is a slow and careful exercise. Unlike the surrounding American society, where change is instant and in the hands of strangers, media, and bureaucrats, the Amish decide for themselves what changes to make. Change is experimented with and its effects observed. The only changes allowed are those that insure the belief to Amish culture. The combined efforts of ethnic symbolism, population growth, resistance to outside philosophies, compromise, and social change has preserved Amish culture and allowed it to flourish. While many Americans may think that the Amish are a backward and quaint culture, in fact the Amish have been very creative in thinking and in preserving the simplicity of life and
The Amish have combined Christianity and having the condition of being easy to understand to create a society that furthers family, community, and happiness in ways that American society and culture have not only been incapable of creating but is directlyopposed to. The Amish, instead of being individualistic, have forgone many of the modern conveniences that we take for granted. The Amish have been able to remove themselves effectively from mainstream American culture and create a seemingly static culture. The Amish, however, are not static but change slowly and deliberately. There have been a number of factors that have contributed to the growth, preservation, and change in Amish culture. Large Amish families and the use of modern medicines and nutrition have led to fewer mortalities and encouraged population growth. Amish schools and education socializes youth to Amish values so that they tend to remain part of the Amish church. Amish economic practices ranging from the size of farms to the use of draft horses also functions to serve and protect Amish culture. The impedes for social change is largely caused by, but not limited to, economic factors. But Amish social change is a slow and careful exercise. Unlike the surrounding American society, where change is instant and in the hands of strangers, media, and bureaucrats, the Amish decide for themselves what changes to make. Change is experimented with and its effects observed. The only changes allowed are those that insure the belief to Amish culture. The combined efforts of ethnic symbolism, population growth, resistance to outside philosophies, compromise, and social change has preserved Amish culture and allowed it to flourish. While many Americans may think that the Amish are a backward and quaint culture, in fact the Amish have been very creative in thinking and in preserving the simplicity of life and