Amish in Todays Society

Amish in today’s Society

What does it mean to be Amish? Is the only difference between the Amish and the people of the mainstream American culture the way they dress and the way they choose to live? The 150,000 member Amish minority in America is situated mainly in Ohio, Indiana, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania have been the most successful among the nation’s religious and ethnic groups in staying true to who they are, their beliefs, and how they live. The Amish minority is a society that differs from its mainstream American culture and portrays how the mainstream culture reflects their minority needs.

The text I will be using are websites, news reports, books, interview with an ex Amish friend of our family along with an interview with an Amish who does work for my parents.

Bibliography

Hostetler, John A. Amish Society. 4th Edition. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press.

1993.

This book by Hostetler has been expanded and updated to reflect current research on Amish history and culture as well as the new concerns of Amish communities throughout North America. He lets you see the inside of Amish culture and explains the nature of Amish religious beliefs and ceremonies, community and family life, tensions with worldly values, and interactions with outsiders. He offers updated information on a variety of topics, including Amish population trends, land use and farming practices, and relations with the state.

Kraybill, Donald B., Nolt, Steven M., Weave-Zercher, David L. The Amish Way: Patient Faith

in a Perilous World. Jossey-Bass/ A Wiley Imprint 09/10.

Throughout this book the authors go back and forth with the Amish beliefs, practices, and affections. They see these three things as being the strands of the braid that hold the Amish community together.

Kraybill, Donald B. The Amish: Why They Enchant