Running head: THE AMISH SUBCULTURE
The Amish Subculture
Anne M. Hendricks
Ferris State University
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THE AMISH SUBCULTURE
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The Amish Subculture
The Amish live in 28 states and the Canadian province of Ontario. Michigan has the fifth
largest Amish population (Kraybill, Nolt & Johnson-Weiner, 2010b). Michigan has a long
history of Amish settlement, with the first Amish settling in the Great Lakes State in 1895
(Kraybill, Nolt & Johnson-Weiner, 2010b).
In Michigan1991-2010 population change of Amish 5,280 (1991), 11,350 (2010) = 115%
(Kraybill, Nolt & Johnson-Weiner, 2010a). In the United States total 1991: 123,550,. 2010
249,495= 102%. The population has doubled over the past 20 years due to sizeable families (5 or
more children on average) and high retention rates (on average about 85 percent of Amish youth
eventually join the church) (Kraybill, Nolt & Johnson-Weiner, 2010a). In the one-year period
from 2009 to 2010, the Amish of North America show an estimated population growth of 5
percent, increasing from 237,500 in 2009 to 249,500 in 2010. (Figures include adults and
children.) (Kraybill, Nolt & Johnson-Weiner, 2010a). If it continues growing at an annual rate of
5 percent, the Amish population will double in 14 years, by 2024(Kraybill, Nolt & JohnsonWeiner, 2010a). Their population doubled in the 20-year period from 1991 to 2010(Kraybill,
Nolt & Johnson-Weiner, 2010b).
The population pyramid in the Amish community (3% of the population over age 60,
compared to 18% of the neighboring non-Amish rural area) this is due to natural fertility with
low infant mortality (Hewner, 1997).
Family Structure
The Amish define family roles from early childhood through old age. Children are
nurtured by all members of the family and create bonds beyond the single-family unit with
grandparents, cousins, and community church members (Hostetler & Gertrude, 1992). The
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majority live in households of six or more persons (Hostetler & Gertrude, 1992). As family
members age, it is common for the grandparents to move out of the main home to a "dowdy
house," a smaller dwelling attached to or located near the main house (Hostetler & Gertrude,
1992). The elderly are well-respected and considered important givers of advice (Hostetler &
Gertrude, 1992).
Healthcare
The Amish complete their education at the eighth grade, which is a consideration when
providing healthcare. The religious and cultural beliefs of the Amish result in many health care
beliefs and practices which are significantly different from the dominant American culture. For
example, the Amish are excluded from social security and health insurance coverage; they have
different perceptions of health and illness; they do not practice birth control; they often lack the
preventive practices of immunizations and prenatal care; and they may use a variety of
traditional and nontraditional health care provider (Adams & Leverland, 1986). The Amish do
not believe in receiving monies from the government such as welfare, health insurance, or social
security (Graham & Cates, 2006). Because of this, they do not believe in paying into those
programs. In the Amish community, the care of the elderly is seen as the responsibility of the
family and community, not the government (Graham & Cates, 2006).
The majority of Old Order Amish respondents believed that faith and prayer play a major
role in healing (Gerdner, Tripp-Reimer & Sorofman, 2002). All of the Amish in one study
reported detailed knowledge of folk remedies ( Gerdmner, Tripp-Reimer & Sorofman, 2002).
Minor trauma, commonly associated with farming, is the condition most often treated by folk
remedies (Gerdner, Tripp-Reimer & Sorofman, 2002). All of the Amish respondents in the study
utilized the services of a physician, but visits were usually limited to serious health conditions
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and emergencies (Gerdner, Tripp-Reimer & Sorofman, 2002). Amish also use a variety of
alternative health care providers (i. e., chiropractors, and reflexologists) (Gerdner, Tripp-Reimer
& Sorofman, 2002).
Activity
The Amish are highly active in their daily lives. A study revealed that the average Amish
male walked over 18,000 steps per day, and the average female took over 14,000 steps
(Schneider, Bassett, Thompson & et.al., 2006). This is compared with the average sedentary
American adult who logs around 5,000 steps per day (Schneider, Bassett, Thompson, et.al.
2006).
The incidence of hip fracture was estimated in a community of Old Order Amish and
compared with available data from non-Amish whites. Hip fracture rates were 40% lower in the
Amish, and the Amish also experienced higher Bone Mineral Density (Streeten et al., 2004).
Cancer
Researchers found that the cancer rate among the Amish was 37-percent lower for
tobacco-related disease and 72-percent less for other types of cancer (Westman et al., 2010).
"The Amish are at an increased risk for a number of genetic disorders but they probably have
protection against many types of cancer both through their lifestyle – there is very little tobacco
or alcohol use and limited sexual partners – and through genes that may reduce their
susceptibility to cancer," said researcher Judith Westman (Westman et al., 2010). Researchers
tracked the incidence of 24 types of cancer among nearly 10,000 Amish residents of Ohio
between 1996 and 2003 (Westman et al., 2010). Even skin cancer rates were found to be lower
among the Amish because although many work outdoors, they also wear protective clothing and
hats, the study found (Westman et al., 2010).
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Amish Health Issues
The Amish tend to have higher rates of blood disorders such as hemophilia and inherited
disorders because of marriage within a small community (Windows of Hope, 2010).
Hypertension, Diabetes, obesity, heart disease, hemophilia B and factor IX deficiency, and
hypothyroidism are common among the Amish (Windows of Hope, 2010). Windows of Hope is
an international non-profit project organized in 2000 to focus on the identification, diagnosis,
treatment, and prevention of genetic disorders among plain people (Windows of Hope, 2010).
Life Expectancy
It is the same as for all persons in the United States, no different in the Amish than for
other groups of people (Westman et.al.,2010). As cited in Westman et al., (2010), according to
US Government Statistics, the average life expectancy for Caucasian men is 74.3 and for
Caucasian women are 79.9. The leading cause of death is heart disease.
Amish Aging
Avoiding disease, maintaining physical and cognitive function, and continuing social
engagement in late life are considered to be key factors associated with successful aging. The
current research indicate that one haplogroup found in only 2% of all Europeans was found in
15% of the successfully aged Amish population (versus only 3% of the controls) and had a
significant positive association with successful aging (American Society of Human Genetics,
2010). Another haplogroup, which is typically found in about 10-25% of Southern Europeans,
was found in only 5% of the Amish population and had a negative association with successful
aging factors ( American Society of Human Genetics,2010).
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References
Adams, C. E., & Leverland, M. B. (1986, March). The effects of religious beliefs on the health
care practices of the Amish. The Nurse Practitioner, 11(3), 58, 63.67.
American Society of Human Genetics (2010, November 4). Successful aging in the Amish:
Researchers discover new genetic factors. Retrieved January 20, 2010, from
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101103135237.htm
Crawford. S. Y., Manuel, A. M., & Wood, B. D. (2009, January). Pharmacists' considerations
when serving Amish patients. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 49(1),
86-94.
Donnermeyer, J. F., & Friedrich, L. (2002). Amish society: An overview reconsidered. Journal
of Multicultural Nursing & Health.
Gerdner, L. A., Tripp-Reimer, T., & Sorofman, B. (2002). Health beliefs and practices: The Iowa
old order Amish [Electronic version]. Journal of Multicultural Nursing & Health.
Graham, L. L., & Cates, J. A. (2006). Health care and sequestered cultures: A perspective from
the old order Amish. Journal of Multicultural Nursing & Health.
Hewner, S. J. (1997, June 21). Biocultural approaches to health and mortality in an old order
Amish community. Collegium Antropologicum, 21(1), 67-82.
Hostetler, J. A., & Gertrude, E. H. (1992). Amish children: Education in the family, school, and
community. Fort Worth, Texas: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers.
Kraybill, D., Nolt, S., & Johnson-Weiner, K. (2010a). Amish population trends 2009-2010. In
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Amish studies. Retrieved January 15, 2010, from The Young Center for Anabaptist and
Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College:
http://www2.etown.edu/amishstudies/Population_Trends_2009_2010.asp
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Schneider, P. L., Bassett, D. R., Thompson, D. L., & et.al. (2006). Effects of 10,000 steps per
day goal in overweight adults. The Journal of Health Promotion, 21(2), 85-89.
Scott, W. K. (2010, November). Successful aging in the Amish. In 60th Annual Meeting.
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alternative healthcare practices of the Amish. Holistic Nursing Practice, 24(2), 64-72.
Streeten, E. A., Mcbride, D. J., Lodge, A. L., Pollin, T. I., Stinchcomb, D. G., Agarwala, R. et al.
(2004). Reduced incidence of hip fracture in the old order Amish. Journal of Bone and
Mineral Research, 19, 308-313.
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P. P. et al. (2010). Low cancer incidence rates in Ohio Amish
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THE AMISH SUBCULTURE
Windows of Hope, G. I. C. (2010). The Windows of Hope Project: Understanding Inherited
Conditions. Retrieved January 17, 2011, from University of Arizona:
http://www.wohproject.org/Disorders
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