Amish Folk Culture

The text describes the Amish as an example of folk culture in the United States. This assignment will require the use of the internet to gather information on the Amish way-of-life as an example of folk culture. You will gather information on the Amish, using various sources (internet, books, newspapers, magazines, etc…), and compare it to what you know about pop culture. You need not research case studies about pop culture, because you yourself are a living testimony to pop culture.

I. The assignment is two-fold. The first part is in the form of a written response (paragraph) where you are required to present your reaction to the Amish, focusing on the following:

• The Amish have an idea of Separatism. They do not want their members to become what they feel is evil and wicked. Their clothing, transportation, food, and work are all extremely different from the people around them. Their neighbors go to work via an automobile to an office where they dress in a factory-made suit then later go to McDonalds to get a Big Mac. The Amish on the other hand, dress is homemade dark clothing, travel by horse power, eat what they have grown on the farm, and work on that farm. When people keep in close contact they tend to merge and become one,
Amish came from Europe as Mennonites and believe in strict policies that had to do with not being "... conformed to this world." Their clothing, means of transportation and diet are easily seen to not be conforming to the world. While other people around the Amish are wearing Gap clothing, driving cars and eating Kit-Katz, the Amish are wearing handmade clothing, horses, and eating fresh meat and crop. All Amish take church and religion very seriously and some are said to have long services were they sing in unison and where a single hymn may take more than thirty minutes. The role of the church dominates their life style and their social