Sierra Haverfield Essays - Amish, Intentional Living,

Sierra Haverfield Final Project FCSA 351 274320025717500 Introduction The Amish culture is a very unique one that doesn't seem to get very much (positive) attention. In school we are always learning about foreign countries and their cultures but we never really examine the different cultures we have right here in the US. Granted, over the past couple years the Amish sectors in Pennsylvania have been in the news for child abuse, but we have never really taken a step back and looked at how differently they live from the rest of the country. I chose to write about the Amish people after sitting at the airport in Hawaii waiting for my luggage at baggage claim . Across the terminal there were a group of Amish women wearing long dresses with long sleeves and they look ed very thick in material. I was completely amazed that they weren't dying of heat stroke because it was at least 85 degrees in there. It was hard for me to believe that they came from the same country as me because they looked so foreign. When I read the prompt for this fin al essay, I knew I would have an easy time researching and writing about the Amish culture because I was already so interested in learning more about why they differ so much from the rest of America. History and Traditions The Amish religion was founded upon teachings of the early Christian church. A round 1693, a young Mennonite leader named Jacob Amman formed his own Christian fellowship. He did this because he felt that the Mennonite Church did not exercise enough church discipline or maintain a strong enough spiritual life. Because of this, Jacob Amman's 1828800-22860000 followers began to be nicknamed the Amish. Originally, dress for the Amish people did not have religious meaning. The first Amish people were mainly peasants so as time went on they just continued to dress in plain, unadorned clothing. However, interaction with the culture and lifestyle of the outside world eventually started to threaten the ide ntity of the Amish people . As a result of this, many believed that by stressing a lifestyle of nonconformity they would protect their culture and religious identity. The easiest way to do this was through th eir dress and appearance. 297180068770500 Different from most cultures, the Amish people believe that clothing is not meant to distinguish an individual from a group by making them more "attractive" over others. They feel that wearing clothing to emphasize one's attractiveness will create competition and sinful thoughts. Therefore, Amish women and girls wear dresses with full skirts and they tend to be solid colors such as blue, green, brown, or grey. However, on formal occasions they wear black. An apron is worn over the dress and they wear black shoes with stockings. When in public, Amish women wear a black bonnet and shawl. Traditionally, women and girls wear their hair uncut, and parted in the middle. It is then twisted into a bun at the back of the head. They never wear any jewelry or make-up. The Amish men and boys generally wear dark suits and the pants are held up with suspenders. They wear brown shoes for work, and black shoes for formal occasions. When outside, men tend to wear broad- brimmed hats made out of straw or black felt. For their hair, they tend to comb it in front with bangs. When boys reach adulthood, they grow beards, but not mustaches however. Mustaches are thought to be associated with the military and aggression. 3429000-131445000 Evolution 4114800177800000 The Amish people have had strict religious beliefs since the religion was first started in 1693 . This being said, there have not been very many changes to their culture and way of life. Most Amish communities believe that a lot of change in a short period of time will "ruin" their way of life. Therefore, they have only just begun to introduce technology into their daily lives . For instance, farmers now use electric powered tools, and they have electric or gas burning stoves in their homes instead of wood stoves. These little changes have greatly helped and improved the Amish way of life. However, the