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Cultural Change and Survival in Amish Society
I. Introduction
Watching the Amish riding their horse drawn carriages through Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, you catch a glimpse of how life would have been 150 years ago. The Amish, without their electricity, cars, and television appear to be a static culture, never changing. This, however, is just an illusion. In fact, the Amish are a dynamic culture which is, through market forces and other means, continually interacting with the enormously tempting culture of America. So, one might be led to wonder how a culture like the Amish, one that seems so anachronistic, has not only survived but has grown and flourished while surrounded by a culture that would seem to be so detrimental to its basic ideals. The Amish, through biological reproduction, resistance to outside culture, compromise, and a strong ethnic symbolism have managed to stave off a culture that waits to engulf them. Why study the Amish? One answer would be, of course, to learn about their seemingly pure cooperative society and value system (called Ordung). From this, one may hope to learn how to better America's problem of individualism and lack of moral or ethical beliefs. However, there is another reason to study the Amish. Because the Amish have remained such a large and distinct culture from our own, they provide an opportunity to study the effects of cultural transmission, resistance, and change, as well as the results of strong symbolism in maintaining ethnic and cultural isolation.
II. History of the Amish
The Amish have their roots in the Protestant Reformation of 16th century Europe, led by Martin Luther. Of these Protestant groups one sect was the Anabaptists. The first Anabaptist group was kno...
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...the Amish except for their use of language and plain dress, would not have been distinct from most other 19th century farmers. This in essence allowed for the early survival and establishment of Amish culture in the United States.
References
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Good, Merele and Phyllis. 1979. 20 Most Asked Questions about the
Amish and Mennonites. Lancaster, Pennsylvania: Good Books.
Hostetler, John A. 1983. Amish Life . Scottdale, Pennsylvania:
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Kraybill, Donald B. 1990. The Puzzles of Amish Life . Intercourse, Pennsylvania: Good Books.
Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia. 1997. Amish . 1993-1996 Microsoft Corporation.
Pennsylvania Dutch Country Welcome Center. 1997. Amish FAQ.
http://www.800padutch.com/atfaq.html
A good percentage of people around the world may believe that every education system is the same, based on values and beliefs. Two education systems that seem to contrast each other are American and Amish cultures. Some similarities of the American and the Amish cultures are: preschool, class progression, and school time. Some differences are: personal and religious values. This study covers some main ideals and the differences in the cultures and how they can be explained.
Lasch-Quinn, Elisabeth. "Family." Encyclopedia of American Cultural and Intellectual History. Ed. Mary Kupiec Cayton and Peter W. Williams. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2001. Student Resources in Context. Web. 6 Mar. 2014.
Strayed, Cheryl. Wild: From Lost to Found On the Pacific Crest Trail. New York: Alfred A.
...n, A. M. ( 1995, Spring) The Amish Struggle with Modernity. Virginia Quarterly Review. Vol. 71, Issue 2
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"Through the lens of Gender theory, Shakespeare's characterization of men and women in Hamlet demonstrate a patriarchal approach throughout the play. In particular, we may explore the female characters of Gertrude and Ophelia and how they challenge -or fail to challenge- the domination of male characters. Throughout the play, Ophelia is represented as incoherent, silent, and a quintessential mad woman. Whilst Gertrude is represented as solely dependent on men, and
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With particular reference to Hamlet, feminist critics might explore the characters of Ophelia and Gertrude and how they challenge—or fail to challenge — the domination of male characters. Feminist critics would also be interested in exploring how the play expresses ideas about femininity that were common in Shakespeare's lifetime and how complicit Shakespeare is in Hamlet's personal misogyny. … Elaine Showalter's essay "Representing Ophelia: Women, Madness, and the Responsibilities of Feminist Criticism" explores the difficulties, even embarrassments, that feminist critics have had in approaching Ophelia. The problem is that Ophelia has tended to be overshadowed by Hamlet, even by feminist critics, who then feel the need to liberate Ophelia from obscurity. However, even liberated Ophelia is problematic for she suggests some potentially troubling connections between femininity, female sexuality, and madness.
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In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, he portrays a young Ophelia, who battles with her desire to please her father and Hamlet, eventually driving her to her own demise. The way Ophelia is perceived by the other characters in the book is not how the reader perceives her. Her love for Hamlet is strong, and very apparent throughout the play. The other characters, however, view her in the opposite manner. Her own father, Polonius, labeled her as a whore, casting her aside as useless. Ophelia’s pain consumes her as she fails to please her family and the man she loves dearly.
Hamlet is an alluring play to study. There are many different characters who each have diverse personalities. The thing that is noticeable about play is that there is an overwhelming number of male personalities while only a few female ones. This leads to a very interesting topic on female characters. This essay will explore the character of Ophelia, specifically the idea that she was a major key into Hamlet’s tragic ending.