THESIS STRANGERS IN THIS WORLD Suzannah Hoover New Media Photojournalism Spring 2013 In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in New Media Photojournalism Corcoran College of Art + Design Washington, D.C. 2 www.StrangersinthisWorld.com www.SuzannahHoover.com ©Suzannah Hoover 2013 [email protected] ©Suzannah Hoover 2013 All Rights Reserved 3 www.StrangersinthisWorld.com www.SuzannahHoover.com ©Suzannah Hoover 2013 [email protected] TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Abstract ……………………………………….. 5 II. Introduction……………………………............ 5 III. Rationale………………………………………. 7 IV. Research Summary/Approach……………….. 9 V. Professional Precedents and Goals…………...10 VI. Community Engagement………………………11 VII. Narrative………………………………………..13 VIII. Appendices……………………………………...19 4 www.StrangersinthisWorld.com www.SuzannahHoover.com ©Suzannah Hoover 2013 [email protected] I. Abstract This thesis concerns three Amish families living in Shipshewana Indiana. This is an exploration of the idea that while they work to remain true to their roots, the identity of members of this Amish community is changing due to internal and external pressures. This project adds to the social documentary tradition by increasing discourse surrounding this culture that is often stereotyped. The final product is presented in a short documentary, including original video, photographs, and audio. Additionally, there is a community engagement component, which prompts Amish and non-Amish alike to question their understanding of this culture. This is a significant undertaking because it explores a culture whose representation is often extremely polarized, whether through misrepresentation or stereotypes. II. Introduction With a current population of 250,000, and a projection of one million by 2050, the Amish Christian population is the fastest growing faith group in the United States according to the Christian Science Monitor. As a population that once prided itself on farming to sustain it’s lifestyle, the Amish have realized that with the changing times they are no longer able to continue in this manner, both due to internal and external forces. The Amish are facing a time in which the decisions they make are critical to the very core of their culture. As well as the internalized issues of the Amish such as the pressure to remain true to their faith in changing times, they are also being faced with an outside culture that has 5 www.StrangersinthisWorld.com www.SuzannahHoover.com ©Suzannah Hoover 2013 [email protected] begun to sensationalize them. Events such as the 2011 Sam Mullet trials and the 2006 shooting at the West Nickel Mines School in Pennsylvania have prompted the media to look into the culture and explore this private way of life. Additionally, the entertainment world has created shows such as Breaking Amish, Amish Mafia, and Amish: Out of Order, which give a “reality TV” view into the world of the Amish. These shows sensationalize and skew the Amish lifestyle, perpetuating the misrepresentation. Through this project I explore the Amish culture as it relates to the issues of representation, commodification, and redefining what it means to be Amish in their struggle to stay true to their roots while following the natural course of change in life. I worked with three Amish families to begin to gain an understanding of what it means to be Amish. Additionally, I interviewed Susan Miller, a former Amish woman and the managing director of the Menno-Hof museum in order to build a contextual and historical understanding of the Amish culture in Northern Indiana. Through this work I have created a unique representation of the Amish through their words, images, and stories. I created a multimedia piece encompassing original images, audio, and video, as a means to address these through the lives of these Amish families. Through this work, I have created not only a better understanding of the Amish culture, but also a clearer representation of their lives in order to increase the level of dialogue surrounding them. 6 www.StrangersinthisWorld.com www.SuzannahHoover.com ©Suzannah Hoover 2013 [email protected] III. Rationale “Amish is a way of life, not a religion.” When speaking with the Amish, this is a phrase that is often repeated. As a culture the Amish people seek to live a life that serves God and that will get them to Heaven, but want to make a clear distinction that being Amish is not a “free pass”. However, as I am also often told, the Amish are human and make mistakes and are sometimes worried about the “uplifted” status that they are given by the outside world. Through my work I explore this culture and issues they face in their lives, including representation, changing times, and the commodification of their culture. Typically, a person would need to visit areas such as Lancaster, PA, Holmes County, OH, or Shipshewana, IN, in order to find the Amish. However, as one of the fastest growing populations and one that intrigues many outsiders, or “English,” their quiet lifestyle has broken out of these specific locations and become increasingly a part of mainstream culture. These areas are not only still primarily where the Amish are located, but also have become destination locales where one can learn about and become inundated with the Amish culture and goods like food, quilts, or furniture. The idea of Amish has moved beyond a lifestyle and has become a commodity. This thesis project focuses specifically on the Amish culture near Shipshewana, IN. The Amish are one of the fastest growing populations self-defined by faith and will double in that population by 2024. Initially, it was the English capitalized on the tourism potential that Amish culture brought to the area, but as times have changed, necessity required that the Amish find new methods of income in addition to farming. Consequently, the Amish have began to sell their wares as well. 7 www.StrangersinthisWorld.com www.SuzannahHoover.com ©Suzannah Hoover 2013 [email protected] The ubiquity and advances of technology have also challenged the Amish as they try to balance the need to prosper and make a living in a less agricultural society. As the need for mechanical and other technological tools such as combines for farming, telephones, and power tools increases businesses efficiency, the Amish have begun to face the difficult task of finding a “happy medium.” Throughout each community, they must rationalize the technology allowance limit that will make them viable business people, but also support their belief that their lifestyle will guide them to their place in Heaven Events such as the Sam Mullet beard cutting attacks in 2011, and the 2006 West Nickel Mines School shooting in the Amish community in Pennsylvania, have caused media to take interest in the Amish, raising their profile nationally. Amish identity has entered the mainstream and captured the eye of reality T.V. fans through Amish: Out of Order, Breaking Amish, and Amish Mafia, These shows portray the Amish in a manner that sometimes, not always, is skewed to garner high ratings. For mainstream society, whether they view these shows or not, the representation of the Amish is skewed and something that needs to be explored in order to better understand this culture in an honest manner. I believe that it is important to create this body of work that explores these issues in a manner which the Amish have a large control of the message and their representation to the world. With reality shows continuing to air, and inevitable events that will bring the Amish into the limelight, there needs to be a clearer understanding of the culture and the manner in which they live. 8 www.StrangersinthisWorld.com www.SuzannahHoover.com ©Suzannah Hoover 2013 [email protected] IV. Research Summary/Approach Throughout the course of this project, my subject focus and project idea became more clear and relevant. While this project began as a simple look into the world of the Amish, specifically focusing on the Rumspringa period, the final multimedia project focused on the representation of the Amish, their changing culture, and the manner in which their culture has become a commodity. My research included exploring the Amish culture through written texts, movies, and reading texts of other projects created about the Amish. Additionally, I researched the idea of representation, and specifically representation of those on the outskirts of a mainstream culture. I read books such as Reading National Geographic, Image and Representation: Key Concepts in Media Studies, and The Civil Contract of Photography among others, in order to better understand how representation and symbols are created, who owns the representation, and how it affects the subjects as well as the photographer. Additionally, I follow television programs such as Amish Mafia, Breaking Amish, and Amish out of Order, that are created about the Amish and sometimes even in their communities, in order to better understand what is being presented to the world. I am also exploring the community of downtown Shipshewana, IN, where “Amish” has become less of a lifestyle and more of a commodity for both the English (non-Amish) and the Amish alike. I believe that these research approaches, as well as speaking with and exploring Amish families have helped to create a well-rounded body of work about this community. 9 www.StrangersinthisWorld.com www.SuzannahHoover.com ©Suzannah Hoover 2013 [email protected] Citations: "Amish Mafia." Amish Mafia. Discovery Channel. Lancaster, PA, n.d. Television. Amish: Out of Order. National Geographic Channel. Columbia, Missouri, 16 Oct. 2012. National Geographic Channel. Web. 5 Oct. 2012. <http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/amish-out-of-order/>. Azoulay, Ariella. The Civil Contract of Photography. New York: Zone, 2008. Print. "Breaking Amish." Breaking Amish. TLC. New York City, New York, 2012. Television. Lacey, Nick. Image and Representation. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. Print. Lutz, Catherine, and Jane Lou Collins.