sign in sign up
<<
Home , Amish, Veil

View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE

provided by K-State Research Exchange

The : Symbol of Separation and Community Jana M. Hawley Kansas State University

In, J. Heath (Ed.) The Veil: Women Writers on Its History, Lore, and Politics. University of California, Berkley (2008).

In June of 1991, I packed the U-Haul candy on a kerosene stove, drive truck with my personal belongings and thousands of miles (55,000 in one year!) my 10 and 11 year old boys and moved as a “taxi” driver for the Amish who to Jamesport, Missouri where I was would hire me to take them places, make going to do a year of participant cider on an oak hand press, feed horses, observation research living among the take the Amish women Old Order Amish. It was perhaps the shopping in Kansas City, work in an most peaceful, reflective, and revealing Amish-owned store, and quilt with year of our lives. That year resulted in women on several quilting projects. lifelong friendships with several Amish friends that I remain in contact with to By the end of the year I had attended this day. As time has passed, some Amish birthday parties, services, changes in have occurred, but very auctions, , “singings”, few. volleyball games, work bees, quilt frolics, hospital visits, barn raisings, and When one lives with a group of people a multitude of more routine daily chores. outside of one’s own culture for an Over the year I gained a mutual respect extended period of time, we learn about of the Amish, a remarkable degree of all kinds of things about that group. acceptance, and a profound Although my research question had to do understanding of their world view, social with business practices, I learned and structure, and level of technology. have written about many other aspects of Amish life. Amish History and Culture

In order to facilitate acceptance with the The Amish are a large Christian-based Amish, I adjusted my normal group whose core values focus on appearance, foregoing makeup and separateness from the world, and adopting plain and . commitment to tradition, family, and Because I had grown up on a Kansas community. These values have set them farm I was given a measure of apart from the rest of the world, making legitimacy that gained me quicker them a curiosity for many access. It was only a short time after I and this curiosity has caused the media had arrived that I found myself helping to make them the subject of movies, my new Amish friends make bread on a news stories, and even reality TV. wood-burning oven, wash clothes in a diesel-powered washing machine, make The Amish are a permutation of the 16th the authority of the state (Hostetler, century Swiss Anabaptist movement that 1993). was part of the Protestant in Switzerland, Germany, and France. They The Old Order Amish are located in believed that church and state should be rural communities throughout North and separate and that the final authority for Central America. Each Amish was the Scripture. For these community is unique with its own set of beliefs, they were often violently rules called the (pronounced persecuted in Europe so they escaped to ott-ning). Outsiders have difficulty the United States in the late 1600s and understanding why Amish from some settled in ’s religious communities might use tractor engines freedom area near Lancaster, mounted on a flat-bed wagon to power . Since then, they have the farm equipment and facilitate the migrated to other rural areas throughout work load while another Amish the continent, primarily , , community strictly enforces the use of Missouri, and . The Amish migrate only horse-drawn power. Another Amish for two primary reasons: (1) community might allow a transistor among the members regarding radio in the barn while other orthodoxy/progressiveness, and (2) the communities strictly forbid any radios. search for viable farmland away from These variances are due to community- congested urban encroachment so that specific rules of the Ordnung resulting in the agrarian integrity can be maintained. a continuum of orthodox Amish (Old Today many of the Midwest Amish have Order) on one end and progressive little social or ideological connection Amish (Beechy Amish) on the other end. with the Pennsylvania Amish and, as a The Amish often compare their own result distinct differences have evolved. Amish district to other districts as “higher” or “lower.” It is these varying Despite predictions, the Amish have not rules that also explain the variations in assimilated into the dominant American Amish dress that I will discuss below. culture, nor has their population become smaller over the years. Instead, their Regardless of community-specific large family sizes and relative small details of the Ordnung, the values that attrition has resulted in a population rule daily life of the Amish include (a) growth that has gone from more or less and stewardship toward 6,000 in 1900 to approximately 200,000 personal property, and self, (b) sharing today. of wealth through an intricate system of mutual aid, (c) a dedicated work ethic Amish often refer to themselves as plain. that focuses on farm life, and (d) a Their primary tenets of include commitment to thrift (Hawley, 2005). rejection of violence, submission of the Through dress, lifestyle, horse and individual members to the authority of buggy culture, language, appearance, the Amish community, the development and technological simplicity the Amish of self-sustaining agricultural lifestyle in have established a determined boundary a commitment of stewardship of the maintenance that keeps them separate land, refusal of infant baptism, and from the world so that they can more independence of the Amish church from carefully manage their social control and “on the edge.” For the Amish, change therefore their existence. often occurs from either the young people who experiment during Amish Dress , an institutionalized period of experimentation during adolescence For most Amish, their for Amish youth, or by marginalized represents several dimensions of their Amish who are often found breaking the cultural values including nonconformity Amish rules. to the broader culture, humility, modesty, function, and group Similar to technological differences by conformity. Although the relative community, Amish dress also varies by orthodoxy of Amish dress varies from community and is based on the Ordnung one community to another and results in rules. For example, some Amish what outsiders see as a confusing communities require that Amish women breadth of acceptance for Amish dress, use straight pins to close their Amish clothing has remained relatively while other Amish communities use unchanged for nearly a century. For men snaps for dress closures. When I lived in in the Old Order Amish, clothing Jamesport, a young girl was visiting consists of broadfall pants, , from an Amish community in Indiana high and no zippers. Vests and where snaps were used to close the Sunday frocks use hooks and eyes and dresses. In Jamesport, straight pins were no buttons because buttons are seen as used. Concern from the elders prideful. The male is a shallow- immediately was raised because young crowned straw for the summer and for Jamesport girls were seen trying to “get work and felt for the winter and for by” sewing snaps onto their dresses. A Sundays. Dress for Old Order women special meeting was held and the girl consists of a white made of from Indiana was told that if she did not organza, the black , a , , remove all the snaps from her dresses , black , and a dress. The and start using straight pins like the long dress, apron, and shawl are other girls in Jamesport, she would have intended to conceal the body, and the to go back to Indiana. This illustrates bonnet to follow the Biblical notion of one example of how social control is “shame-facedness.” exerted.

Even though Amish dress has remained In some Amish communities, women are relatively unchanged for the past required to wear black shoes while in century, some new introductions have other communities are allowed been made, namely shoes, eyeglasses, except on Sundays. And in some Amish and for workdays. In communities, Amish men have a 3 ½ addition, Amish clothing has evolved inch brim on their while in other over time as outsiders interact with the communities the hat brims are only 2 ¾ Amish and as members of other Amish inches wide. These subtle, but communities visit from other states. Just community-specific rules, are controlled as in mainstream America, change by the Ordnung and are parallel to the usually occurs from those who are rest of the community’s relative level of “leaders” or in the case of the Amish, progressiveness. them gather their hats after their dinner, Amish dress serves as both a separator each man easily found his own hat from and identifier. As a primary tenet, the under the tree as if each were a different Amish strive to be separate from the color! world and believe that appearance serves as a constant reminder of their beliefs. These stories illustrate how outsiders They also believe that the church, rather lack the understanding of the subtle than the designers and business differences in community identifiers; owners, should control identity. while insiders fully comprehend who Furthermore, the fashion system’s notion belongs to which community by simply of planned obsolescence contributes to reading the dress cues. waste rather than thrift, another tenet of the Amish system. Head Coverings Amish dress also serves as an identifier, which serves as a form of boundary Amish, both men and women, cling to maintenance and contributes to the the belief of head coverings as part of notion of community and belonging. their convictions to being Amish. And Members of the same community are while it is true that Amish clothing easily recognizable from within the customs are steeped in religious leanings group, even though outsiders may not and traditions from the , after a notice the subtle differences of one year of living among the Amish I am Amish group from another. Let me convinced that for many Amish, several explain. During my research year, I of their customs are more a deep-seeded attended a horse auction with some of conviction of what it means to be my Amish friends. In the center of the culturally Amish than convictions to arena was a young Amish boy and I their . asked my friend whether he was from Jamesport. My friend said, “No, can’t That being said, I would like to spend a you tell by his hat? The brim is much brief moment on the religious origins of smaller!” To me, the hat looked the the Amish head coverings. The Amish same, but to my Amish friend who was belief system is Christian based and, as an “insider” there was an obvious such, their head coverings stem from I difference. Corinthians 11, which dictates that men should have their heads uncovered for Another example that I found amazing prayer, but women should cover their was when I took some Amish friends to heads at all times even when she is not an Amish in Iowa. When praying. There are primarily two everyone went indoors for dinner, all the reasons they believe this: (1) submission men took off their straw hats and threw to and to man, and (2) because the them under the same tree. There Bible says women are to “pray without have been at least 100 straw hats under ceasing.” Hair is also discussed in this that tree. I thought to myself, “How will passage, and it is clear men’s hair should they ever know which hat belongs to be short and women’s should be long. whom when they come out?” because to me, they all looked alike. As I watched Across the range of Anabaptist groups stylish and that it wasn’t fair that (e.g. Amish, , Brethren, she couldn’t have one too! ‘I , , Bruderhof think I’ll just move to Iowa.’ Communities and ) the head covering is usually worn. For Amish Amish women are not supposed to cut women, the prayer cap is the white their hair, but during rumspringa the Swiss organza head covering that must young girls will often cut bangs so that always be worn in public. Depending on when they are wearing their non-Amish the orthodoxy of the Amish community, clothes they appear more “stylish”. Then the style of the prayer cap and how it is when they are wearing their Amish worn changes. In low churches, the clothes they pull their bangs back with prayer cap strings are tied tighter under bobby pins hidden under their prayer cap the chin and has less starch and therefore and hope that the church elders don’t see form. In progressive or high them. One group of girls were communities, the cap strings are not tied admonished by their mothers to tuck at all (or non-existent), and the cap is their bobby pins in better because the highly formed with heavy starch. In pins were showing and surely the Jamesport, where I lived for a year, the would see them at the gathering that was level of orthodoxy fell around the middle about to take place! This illustrates but slightly towards the higher end of the constant checks and balances to control continuum. The women’s prayer appearances. Even though young Amish had a medium starch and the strings for girls were not supposed to cut their hair, the married women were joined in a bow but because they did mothers stepped in but low on the strings away from the to help control the situation as well as chin. For the teenage girls, the strings possible given the situation. were not tied at all and they often used the strings as a tool to toss when flirting In the Jamesport dry-goods stores, stacks with the young teenage boys. The of bandana squares in a plethora of amount of starch used to keep the shape colors are merchandised with the intent in Jamesport was medium as illustrated to match the fabrics used in women’s in this story: dresses. Amish women, particularly the unmarried girls and younger women, use the bandanas as head coverings when I took a family to a wedding in they are working. Usually they match or Iowa. On the way home, the color- coordinate with their dresses, teenage daughter pouted to her which explains the wide range of colors mother in the because she that are available in the stores. I wanted to have a cap shaped like overheard one group of young Amish her cousin’s cap that lived in girls talking about the need to shop in Iowa. Her mother argued back order to buy headscarves to match their that, “a cap like that with all that new work dresses that they had made. starch shows way too much pride and that the church elders would In years past, most Amish women made have a fit.” But the daughter their own prayer coverings and bonnets rebutted that the Iowa caps were but today each community has a so much more modern and seamstress that makes a living sewing prayer caps and bonnets for the occasions between me and a couple of community. In addition, there are my very close friends that I made while several websites that feature a wide living in Jamesport that year. But this is variety of religious head coverings for rare and occurred only after a certain all Anabaptist groups. Even though this degree of trust and friendship had been might seem an odd way to market to a established. culture that does not use electricity, this is not necessarily the case. For example, Married Amish women are supposed to in Jamesport, the Amish have access to wear the black bonnet over the prayer computers with their non-Amish cap when in public, but often do not. business friends in the downtown They are hot and cumbersome. Jamesport business community or at the Occasionally church hierarchy puts their local library. Although they do not often foot down and tells church membership use the computer, they are aware of sites that rules need to be enforced better. such as the one that sells prayer caps During this social enforcement time, the online and it would not be uncommon women will be seen wearing their for them to order through their local bonnets more often—or at least carrying library. The Amish learn of these them in such case when they see a websites through word of mouth and church elder they will have it with them through the two nationally distributed and can put it on quickly. Amish newspapers, the Die Botschaft and The Budget. Both regional differences and levels of orthodoxy occur in both the prayer cap Children are acculturated to the wearing and the bonnet. So not only does it of the veil from a very young age. At depend on how high or low the about age four, children begin dressing community is, but also on whether the just like their adult counterparts, community is Midwest Amish or including the head covering. From age Pennsylvania or Ohio Amish. Unique 14 until married, however, girls will differences abound for each region. wear a black prayer cap during Sunday Conclusion service. This indicates that the teenagers are in their cohort rumspringa years and The history of Amish clothing is hard to also indicate availability for courtship. establish. Some of it goes back to European peasantry, some to early A time and a place American colonial times, some of it can be traced to rural America, and some of Amish tenets expect Amish women to it embraces cultural tenets of separatism, have their heads covered in public at all humility, and avoidance of fashion. Over times. But there exists a public/private the years only minor changes have notion of place when it comes to evolved, but change undoubtedly does covering the head. Once a very close occur. level of friendship is established, an Amish woman may allow herself to be Amish continue to draw appeal from seen by a non-Amish female friend outsiders in part because of their without her head covering when in a amazing resistance to modernization as private place. This happened on several they maintain their cultural traditions. For those of us who belong to a lifestyle humble, conforming, thrifty, and that seems too busy, too laden with faithful. Ironically, both the Amish and emails and annoying cell phone tones, I, use dress as a way to separate and their nostalgic lifestyle has appeal. For integrate ourselves to and from our me, it was one of the most peaceful and environment. enjoyable years of my life. I teach Works Cited fashion merchandising at a major university and to know me, you would Hawley, J. M. (2005). The not think that I could escape to a year of commericialization of Old Order plain living because I live an otherwise Amish quilts: Enduring and “fashionable” lifestyle. But after a year changing cultural meanings. with my Amish friends, I now Clothing and Textiles Research understand the importance of dress to Journal, 23(2), 102-114. Amish. It serves as an index of their commitment to Amish-ness. To them, Hostetler, J. A.(1993). Amish Society they succeed when their dress (4th ed.). Baltimore: Johns communicates that they are loyal, Hopkins University Press.