Do Amish women have freedom in their marriages? Are they dominated by their husbands? What does “head of household” mean? Read on for some of my own observations on these questions – or check out the video above. Head of household Do Amish husbands control their wives? This is a bit of a sensitive question, I suppose. The Amish male is considered the head of…
Donald Kraybill’s new podcast is called “What I Learned from the Amish”. Following up last week’s podcast on community, we have the next in the series, on technology. A snippet from this episode: “For starters, let’s just cancel the big fat myth that the Amish reject modern technology. It’s just not true! What is true, is that Amish communities selectively screen new technology, trying to…
I saw and was sent a story on the Amish, COVID, and specifically herd immunity, and I wanted to share a few thoughts on it. It is an interesting report which I learned a few things from – but I’ve also got a few issues with it. Do Amish communities have herd immunity? So we heard stories sharing beliefs that certain Amish communities had reached…
In a culture that emphasizes marriage, how do single Amish people fit into the community? For the Amish, marriage is the ideal for most people in the community. Most young Amish people expect to get married, or want to get married, and have a family. Being married with a family in a sense reflects the values of the community. There is a degree of…
“This is not a sales pitch for the Amish team, but an invite to tap some of their communal wisdom.” I’m happy to share that Donald Kraybill has a new book coming out soon, called What The Amish Teach Us: Plain Living in a Busy World. It’s a bit different in its approach than his many previous books on the Amish: It sounds audacious, but…
We’re back with part 2 of a two-part Q & A with Don Burke on his Amish photography. If you missed part 1 you can catch up here. In this part Don shares how he chooses which communities to visit, what he’s learned from taking Amish photos, and more. Amish America: Have you ever gotten anything unusual or unexpected while taking pictures? Don Burke: Oh…
Here’s a look at six surprising facts about the Amish and cars. Contrary to some belief, the Amish do make use of cars – just not as drivers. They are often passengers in cars, may hire non-Amish to drive them, and in some cases even own their own vehicles (e.g., for work purposes). This article answers questions including: What is an “Amish taxi“? Do…
Just a small addendum to the post on the tragic loss of a three-year-old in upstate New York. In that one I made the frequently-made point that different Amish do things differently, and also that some ways of being Amish are more dangerous on the whole than others. Following that post, Jim Halverson has sent in some photos of an Amish vehicle with child safety…
Photographer Don Burke has been taking pictures of the Amish for many years, and we have featured his photos here on the site on many occasions since 2014. Don has kindly answered some questions about his photos, interest in the Amish, what the Amish think, and more. This is part one of a two-part interview. Amish America: How long have you been a photographer? Are…
Homeschooling is uncommon among the Amish. Why? Karen Johnson-Weiner suggests in her book Train Up A Child that it conflicts with the concept of community, so important to the Amish. But, some do homeschool. I know at least one Amish family who has. They happen to be members of a New Order Amish church. Amish Cook columnist Gloria Yoder also belongs to a New Order…