The aim of this ethnographic based research project is to explore the impact that the Amish community and system of beliefs has on adolescent girls entering post secondary university. This is an example of modernity meeting traditional elements of society. As Amish families, by practice, do not send their children to school past the eighth grade, conventional wisdom is that university education might be difficult to accommodate (Dewalt 122). In addition, Amish girls typically grow up in a sheltered environment, under the watchful eye of family and friends, to the point that the outside world is truly a foreign concept to many. As a result, adolescent girls who do decide to leave the community upon becoming of age might face certain struggle related to integration that other young people their age may not encounter. In light of recent societal developments, such as the rapid and global advancement of technology, such an ethnographical study would be beneficial in terms of not only better understanding the Amish community at large, but also the needs of adolescent girls in particular.
The Amish are certainly a protected religious faith based community within the United States. This project should not be seen as an attempt to pass judgment on those beliefs; rather, it should be seen as an effort to bridge the cross cultural divide that exists between Amish communities in the Northeastern United States and broader American society. There are certain divides that do exist that could hamper adolescent girls from Amish based communities from being successful in university. This research would be generated in the hopes of offering plausible conclusions that could help all parties involved better understand one another.
Works Cited
Dewalt, Mark W. “The Growth of Amish Schools in the United States.” Journal of Research in
Rural Education, 17.2 (2001): 122.
