Tobin Talks Shop – How Amish Life Is Changing
The history of the Amish people is being written every day, as the world is changing so fast and Amish families and congregations are all making decisions about fitting in. Although many things about the Amish culture are deeply rooted in the past, it’s impossible to live in the world today without facing challenges to those strong roots.
“The transformation of Amish work was a monumental bargain between a tenacious people and the forces of a modern, rationalized social order. The Amish were willing to experiment with new occupations, products, and markets if they could control their newly created world of work. Farming remained highly regarded. Many new entrepreneurs tried to maintain the patterns and virtues of farm life in their new commercial context. Moreover, they remembered the lessons from their foray into factory employment in the seventies. And so the ethnic enterprises, burgeoning in the eighties, were located at or near home as much as possible. No travel to far-off industrial parks would separate fathers from their families. Working at or near home preserved family values by blending spouses and children into the world of business. Parents working alongside their children could pass on the virtues of Amish life in the context of work, albeit at the edge, not the center, of the farm.”
Here’s a link to the article I’m quoting that explains how the Amish in Lancaster, Pennsylvania are coping with the inevitable changes. It’s an Amish Country News Article by Donald B. Kraybill & Steven M. Nolt , essentially a review of their book Amish Enterprises: From Plows To Profits.