Amish Culture Questions
1. I would consider Amish culture a subculture because its values and norms differ significantly from those of the dominant culture.
2a. The Amish keep themselves apart from other communities in terms of appearance by wearing straw hats, dark shirts and trousers with braces for men and plain and modest dresses with bonnets or caps for women.
b. The community is the Amish center of life. They spend most of their time there. Auctions, going to church and other rural activities are all held there. Even the younger Amish men have their dates there. Work also takes up a lot of time.
c. In the Amish Family the men are the head of the household, while the women are considered to be the weaker vessel. Children of at least 16 years of age may do what they want and experience the “outside world” until they become a member of the church.
3. An accurate example of material culture in the Amish culture is their transportation, the horse and buggy. Nonmaterial culture would be their beliefs. Outside of their community is judged as the “devils playground”. The church and God is put ahead of the individual.
4. Their style of dress is the most distinctive visual symbol. Their beliefs and the way they live are other examples of symbols because they are attached by meaning and are used to communicate with others. The language they speak is called Pennsylvania Dutch to separate themselves from other communities. Putting God and the community ahead of the individual, wisdom rather than technical knowledge, and separation from the modern society are all values the Amish share. Three norms in an Amish community are; the shunning of excommunicated members, the excommunication of a woman who had admitted speaking a falsehood, and the belief that noble-hearted people will be saved.