A Report On The Amish Subculture
Kind, simplistic, hardworking are the words I choose to describe the Amish community of Union Grove, North Carolina. My impression is quite different from the view revealed through our pop culture, which has created many misconceptions and biases of the Amish. The Amish subculture is often portrayed as being a backwards society that chooses to avoid modern technology and separates itself from all outsiders of the Amish faith. Social media has monopolized on a few isolated incidents causing misconceptions of this subculture. Modern society also questions why there is so much variation in the use of technology within the different Amish communities. However, through my observations and research, I have found the Amish to be a friendly and hardworking community that chooses to Godly lifestyle, making them an intriguing society worth overcoming negative stereotype views.
The Amish subculture is a group that is recognized by the simple life they lead. They dress in modest clothing and avoid using modernized tools or technologies that might cause their focus on God to drift. Most Amish communities are in rural areas so they can farm. Since the early 1900’s, the Amish population has grown from 1,900 to 300,000. The states with the largest Amish populations are Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio. Close to 30 years ago, North Carolina became the home to an Amish New Order community. This is the only Amish settlement in the state of North Carolina.
The members of the Union Grove Amish community define themselves by faith first and then by their occupation, unlike the non-Amish who may define themselves by occupation. Tom Coletti, an elderly Amish convert, wants to be sure this point is made by stating, “I am an Amish man who works in a furniture store. Amish people do not define themselves by occupation, but rather by their faith.” Mr. Coletti was raised in a devout Catholic home and became an ordained priest. He later decided celibacy was not for him, so he left the priesthood and married his wife, Ann Coletti. He wanted to continue to live a life centered around God, so he converted into the Amish faith. It seems only natural that since the Amish do not define themselves by occupation that they also would not choose their home location by their trade. So, it is plain to see that Mr. Coletti chose to raise his family in the Union Grove Amish community because he felt it was a “good fit” with his Amish beliefs. Tom and Ann Coletti live very contently in this tight knit community along with their seven children and numerous grandchildren. “The grandchildren call me Dawdy,” says Tom Coletti as he refers to his German dialect. Pennsylvania Dutch German is the language spoken Amish homes. English is also spoken, but as a second language.
As I sat on the front porch, drinking tea with Mr. and Mrs. Coletti, he shared a funny story about the difficulties of learning the Pennsylvania Dutch language when he first converted. “I remember when we first joined the Amish community. I, along with a few other converts, sat down to dinner and tried to speak the language best we could.” Tom began to chuckle as he reminisced the one-word dinner conversation. “We all sounded like Neanderthal Man trying to carry on a conversation at the dinner table.” “Butter, bread, mmmm Good” we said!”
The Amish are known for their modest appearance, especially when it comes to their choice of clothing. Sadly, the symbolism of their dress is mostly unknown to modern society and therefore misunderstood and often thought of as foolish and just old fashioned. This modest dress is worn to avoid any competitiveness that might distract from their focus on God. Since each congregation is independent, each community has its own, but yet similar style of dress. The way an Amish person dresses often reveals how liberal or how conservative their congregation is. The Older Amish dress speaks to extreme conservatism, for example, the brim of the man’s hat must be a certain width. As I looked at a group of Amish men their hairstyles appeared to be cloned, for it is common for hair to be cut even with their earlobes in a bowl style and bangs covering the top of their forhead. Young unmarried men have clean shaven faces while the older married men have beards, but no mustaches. During the time Germany was at war, mustaches were the only facial allowed. Therefore, Amish men today do not wear mustaches because they want to show they are passive in the sense of not going to war. The women wear bonnets and do not cut their hair as a symbol of their submission to God.
The Amish come together every Sunday for fellowship and to worship. Most Amish worship services take place in the homes of the Amish community members. Tom Coletti speaks to this by saying, “The church is made up of a body of people instead of an architectural structure. Sunday worship for the Amish of Union Grove community deviates from many other Amish services by taking place inside a small white pristine cottage that is nestled the woods.
Amish buggies that have been abandoned by their horses can be seen parked alongside the church in a neat row. Simplistic to say the least, is the impression I got as I walked through the entrance of the small church. The bare white walls echo the silence of the congregation as they wait for the service to begin. The men and boys are seated on one side of the aisle and the women and daughters are on the other. Ann Coletti explains why the men and women sit separately from each other, “We gather for worship as a family of God, not a nuclear family.” The service begins with a German Hymn and then is followed by the bishop's sermon in Pennsylvania Dutch. Amish children, though dressed in modest Amish outfits, resemble the children of modern society when they begin to fidget and squirm during the long sermon. I can see them trying to suppress their giggles as they quietly frolic with children in nearby pews. Mothers are trying their best to keep their children quiet and disciplined with stern looks and a tight grasp. When the service is over, the men and sons are the first to stand and quietly exit the church, with the women and daughters following behind. It is common to have a social gathering after Sunday Worship.
The Union Grove community gathers once or twice a month in the basement of the church. It is quite a happy affair. Tables are filled with a traditional church meal, commonly served is bread, cheeses, peanut butter and tea to drink. Sometimes visitors from out of state join the social event. There is a prayer before and after the meal. Often hymn singing takes place. Children are well disciplined and sit respectfully at the table with the parents during the meal. They are only allowed to leave the table after the final prayer has been said. With twinkling eyes, Ann Coletti speaks her loving grandmother's words, “We enjoy seeing our grandchildren's faces light up after the final prayer, letting them know their time to play has begun!” Outside children can be seen running around and having fun. Volleyball is often played by the older children. Studies have shown that Amish children are more physically active than modern living children due to their lifestyle, which may include walking to school, taking care of farm animals, family chores and so forth. They participate in active play instead of spending time idle in front of video games. Studies have shown there are fewer overweight children than of Amish families than of the non-Amish children.
In the Older Amish congregation, a ritual called Rumspringa may still be practiced. During Rumspringa Amish adolescents can experience a more social world by becoming part of youth groups. These youth groups vary in activities as well as levels of supervision. Volleyball and singing groups are two popular activities for the youth. There are many myths that have been portrayed on television and through social media. Although uncommon, there have been a few isolated cases where adolescents have participated in Rumspringa activities that were unlawful. Years ago, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania there was a drug bust of two Amish boys. This was made widespread by the media, which fueled the public with biases of the Amish adolescents. It is a common misconception that adolescents partake in drinking, drugs and sex during the Rumspringa period. Sure, there may be a few Amish adolescents who go “wild”, but it is not the norm. The media then capitalizes a few of these mishaps and hence, misconceptions are perceived! According to Tom Coletti, His finger shakes at me, as his eyes narrow emphasizes his point, “We do not encourage our adolescents to indulge in sinful behavior although we do realize the choice must be theirs to continue to live their life devoted to God in our Amish community.” “The Amish are slow to give up their practices and want to hold on to their practices. Rumspringa is no longer encouraged in newer Amish congregations.” There are seven children in Ann and Tom Colettie’s family. They speak of providing their children with many opportunities to walk a life that is more focused on God. According to research the Amish encourage their youth to marry distant relatives, which can lead to certain diseases and and mutations. However, Tom Coletti speaks differently to this issue. He says since Union Grove is such a small community, their young adults marry from distant congregations.
In the Amish community the women follow the scripture, which differs greatly from modern equalities. Tom smiles lovingly at his wife and quotes, “Wives be submissive to your husbands and husbands love your wives as you do the church.” “We believe the wife is the keeper of the home.” Unlike many women in our modern society, Amish women welcome their role as keeper of the home. Amish women are supposed to obey their husbands and Amish husbands are expected to treat their wives with respectfully. Domestic abuse is rare in Amish communities. Although the women of the Amish subculture are to be submissive to their husbands, they do partake in many of the decisions of the household. “Since most of the Amish are self-employed, the wife has the ability to have input into the family business,” Tom Coletti says with a tone in his voice that shows he welcomes and appreciates his wife’s wisdom. Along with the women's goal of establishing the home, is the responsibility of raising the children. Most Amish families have many more children than non-Amish families.
Since church leaders discourage families from eating at restaurants and fast food businesses, the women spend a great deal of time preparing meals. She might use goods that were previously canned and stored in the basement. Or she picks fresh vegetables out of the family garden. However not all goods are homegrown or homemade, this depends on the rules of the Amish congregation. The families are usually large, so one can only imagine how laborious Amish meal preparations can be! As time consuming the meal preparation can be, there are still many other daily responsibilities of the women in this subculture. In many Amish communities the women are not only in charge of the housework, but also the yard work. During my first visit to Union Grove, I couldn't help but notice the many yards that were adorned with colorful petunias. Anyone traveling through the beautiful Amish county of Union Grove, would be filled with a sense of awe at the well-kept yards adorned with colorful petunias, most likely planted by an Amish woman.
Modern society often views the Amish as backwards and foolish for not taking advantage of the newest technologies our world has to offer. I found it quite enlightening as I began to deepen my understanding of their reasoning for avoiding so many of our modern world luxuries. First, one needs to understand that there are differences within the Amish subculture. Some of the new Amish congregations have branched off from the Older Amish and made their own rules. Tom Coletti explains this deviance by saying, “Rules are made from necessity. Times change and we must sometimes make changes with it.” He gives an example of how the Older Amish congregations do not have interactions with people that are not of the Amish faith. However, the Amish in Union Grove and other newer Amish congregations do have interactions with people living in modern society. A major reason for this is out of the necessity to make a living. For example, Union Grove is home to the Amish furniture store, Home Acres Fine Furniture.
The Miller family moved from an Amish community in Ohio to Union Grove to make a living by selling this fine crafted furniture that Amish are known for to the non-Amish of North Carolina. To the Amish of Union Grove, outsiders of their subculture are quite welcome as they patronize their stores. It was actually Tom Coletti that started this store some 30 years ago. It can be seen today as a busy attraction for many non-Amish families who are anxious to come and taste the deli sandwiches and homemade German baked goods.
Picnic tables are set up outside for customers to sit and enjoy the scenic countryside while they eat their meals. It is important to note that although the Amish interact with those outside of their Amish religion, they do limit the interaction to mostly what is necessary. For example, a typical modern society might socialize by going to a movie, but it would be out of the question for an Amish man to join in on that outing. They are quite friendly to their non-Amish neighbors, always ready to lend a helping hand to any neighbor in need. Good relationships have been built between the Amish and the non-Amish of Union Grove
Every congregation is independent and has their own technology preferences. The bishop of the church tries to decide what technology is needed and acceptable for the lifestyle of the community without jeopardizing the communities focus on God and helping others. They feel the more that is taken into their lives, the more they will have to manage. The Union Grove Amish community deviates from the Older Amish also by using electricity. Again, out of necessity, it is needed for refrigeration in the hot summer months. They use electricity for lights, but there is no television, or internet, or cell phones. Farm tractors are used out of necessity to make a living. Automobiles are not owned by Amish families because they believe it is important to stay in close proximity to their home and neighbors and local community. Mr. Coletti had postponed an interview one day because his neighbor was kind enough to drive him to Winston Salem for supplies.
For the most part, the Amish subculture is viewed by today’s pop culture as being backwards. The movie industry and publishing companies have created false impressions of the subculture by portraying them as foolish for not taking advantage of modern technology. Social media has had a hay day broadcasting any Amish adolescent that has gone astray, creating biases for the modern public. However, there are still plenty of modernized Americans that see a graciousness in the way the Amish live, admiring their connectedness to God which creates for them a feeling of security and freedom from modern world stresses. However, these modern Americans are just not quite envious enough to do without their luxuries. I found this simplistic subculture to be wholesome and a refreshing break from the stressful and often ungodly life of our modern society.
References
- Williams, J. K. (1996). The Amish. Danbury, CT: Grolier Publishi ng. p.26,39-40,50
- Lutz, Martin. “The Amish in the Market: Competing against the Odds?.” American Studies Journal 63 (2017). Web. 22 Jul. 2019. DOI 10.18422/63-03.
- Sherman, C. P. (2014). Respecting Cultural Differences: Alternatives for the Amish Community to Combat Heath Care Cost. Undergraduate Research Journal for Human Sciences, 13. Retrieved from https://www.kon.org/urc/v13/sherman.html.
- Amish. (2019, July 20). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish
