Universals of Culture

Contemporary Americans and Amish

Hannah Sweet
November 5, 2014
Social Studies 3rd Hour

Material Culture

Food
Things That Americans Eat:

Biscuits and Gravy

Burgers
Hot Dogs
French Fries
Chicken Nuggets
Sandwiches
Cereal
Donuts
Fried Chicken
Goulash
Grits
Casseroles
Ice Cream

Things That The Amish Eat:

Cornmeal Mush

Eggs

Cooked Cereals (oatmeal)

Fruits and Juices

Bologna

Soups

Pastas

Potatoes

Bread

Fried Meats

Clothing and Adornment

Clothing that Americans wear:

T- shirts, flannels, jackets, crop tops, blouses,

buttoned shirts, collared shirts

Clothing that the Amish wear:

Jeans, sweatpants, jeggings, leggings, dress

pants, khaki, capris, shorts

Polyester, cotton, silk, fur, leather, denim,

pleather

Women wear solid colored, modest dresses, with

long sleeves, a full skirt, a cape, and an apron
The clothing is fastened with straight pins or
clips.
Men wear dark colored pants, dark vest or coat,
suspenders, and a straw hat/ black felt hat.
Woman are never allowed to cut their hair, is
worn on the back of the head, in a bun, concealed
by a prayer covering.
Married men and men forty and over, grow a
beard. Mustaches are forbidden.

Tools and Weapons

Tools/ Weapons that Americans use:

Power tools

Guns, drills, table saws, chain saws, knives

Require a power source for use

Tools/ Weapons that the Amish use:

Survive without using power tools, or any object

that takes electricity to use.

Most of their tools operate by using compressed

air machines, diesel generators, or just simply
doing it by hand.

View guns as a tool, only to hunt wild game.

Anything that the gun is used for besides that is a
sin. The Amish do not believe in acting out, even
if it is for their own safety.

Housing and Shelter

Housing and Shelter of Americans:

Apartments, houses, condos, shacks, duplexes,

Housing and Shelter of the Amish:

basements

Americans live in really any type of housing

Housing is based on what people can afford/

what they want to live in

The elderly do not go to retirement facilities, they

remain at home

Houses are usually large to accommodate to the

families that have six or seven children

Plain, painted white, green, blue or brown (colors

of nature)

Transportation
Transportation of Americans:

Cars, bikes, motorcycles, trucks, airplanes, trains,

Transportation of the Amish:

boats

Anything that we can afford or want to drive

No specifics to ways of transportation

Travel by horse and buggy

Accepting rides from neighbors or hiring a driver
is a way for the Amish to travel to functions on
the outskirts of the Amish settlement
Amish businessmen make agreements with nonAmish people to haul materials as needed or hire
a non- Amish employee who provides a vehicle
Permits trains and buses to shops, work at
markets, or visit far away settlements
Doesnt favor bicycles, but sometimes allows
children to ride them to and from school

The Arts, Play,

and Recreation

Forms of the Arts, Play, and Recreation

American Forms:

Forms of the Amish:

Movies

Baseball is the most popular sport

Traveling

Enjoy animals on the farm

Concerts, plays, operas

Quilting

Any type of sports

Travel to Amish communities, out to eat, other

Watch tv

states, museums, zoos

Mostly like to visit

Language and
Nonverbal
Communication

Language
Language of Americans:

Language of the Amish:

No official language for the U.S. at federal level

Most speak a dialect of German

Most common is English

Known as Pennsylvania Deustch or German

Other languages have been brought from

Limits interaction with non- Amish

immigrants

Children learn English in school and study

Sign language and others have been developed in

U.S.

German for worship services

Social
Organization

Families
Families of America:

Nuclear family concept is in the mindset of all

Americans
Wide variety of families
1 mom, 1 dad, no children
1 mom, 1+ children
1 dad, 1+ children
2 moms, 1+ children
2 dads, 1+ children
1 mom, 1 dad, adopted children
High rate of divorce and remarriage
Adoption is common
Teen pregnancy is rising
Elders tend to go in a nursing home, or stay at
home and cared for by family or nurse that visits

Families of the Amish:

7-10 children is not that uncommon

Several generations live under the same roof

Elders are cared for by other members in the

home

Live in an addition to the house

High birth rates

Teenagers participate in traditional recreation,

others in non- Amish activities
-After this time they choose to leave or stay in

the Amish

Social Control

Rewards and Punishments

American Rewards and Punishments:

Rewards
High Education
High placement in work force
Good Wages/ Benefits
Punishments
Breaking the law
Jail
Prison
Court Dates
Tickets
Fees/Fines

Rewards and Punishments of the

Amish:

Rewards
Family
Work
Religion
Punishments
Corporal punishment for children
Being shunned

Economic
Organization

Division of Labor
Division of Labor in America:

Men typically work full time jobs

Women stay at home/ work part time jobs

Women do most chores around the house

Division of Labor in the Amish:

Women work at home

- make quilts/ sew clothes
- cook and can food
- clean
- tend to children, house, garden and animals

(cleaning, cooking)

Children help with chores or get jobs to help out

Both mother and father handle finances

Members of Amish community help build barns

and houses

financially

Men repair things around the house and do all of

the mechanical work and build things

Children help with chores

Education

Formal Education
Education of America:

Public, private and homeschooling

Starts at age 5-8

Ends at age 16- 18

Typically 3 levels: elementary, middle or junior

high, high school

Education of the Amish:

Standardized tests: state wide (MEAP) and ACT

Secondary education- College

Universities, Community, or Tech schools

Can attend career center during high school

Education goes until 8th grade

Taught by a teacher that only received an 8th
grade education
Distrust public education
Goal is to teach hard work, ethical living and how
to be an active member in the Amish community
Promotes individualism from the world
View education as responsibility of parents,
school and the church
Attend a one room school house that holds all
grades
Teach English, reading, writing, arithmetic and
history
Begins with prayer and singing
Religion is not taught or talked about in school

World View

Religion
Religion of America:

Diversity of religious beliefs and practices

Religion of the Amish:

76% Christians

Mennonites

51% Variety- protestant/ unaffiliated

Similar to the Jews (Old Testament Law)

25% Catholic beliefs

Follow the Ordnung

4% of Adults represent Judaism,

Believe that Jesus was the Son of God, that he

Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism

died for our sins, and that he is the way to

15% of Adults claim no affiliation

salvation

5.2% Unsure

Protestant denomination, closely related to

36% attend services nearly every week or more

Do not believe in infant baptism

Adult baptism

Believe that you can lose your salvation if you

stray from the belief

Being Amish is not a religion, its a way of life

Sources
www.welcome-to-lancaster-county.com/amish-house.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish_way_of_life
www.padutchcountry.com/towns-and-heritage/amish-country/amish-lifest
yle.asp
www.exploring-amish-country.com/amish-culture.html
www.everyculture.com/multi/A-Br/Amish.html