Similarities Between Amish And American Culture (Essay Sample)

One of the main similarities between the Amish and the Americans is that both nationalities have an origin and are guided by a culture that dictates their behavior. During the 16th Century, the Amish people originated from the Anabaptist which is one of the religions that came about in the reformation era. Before the reformation era, Europe was under one church with similar political and government issues. However, this changed during the reformation era whereby the Amish were formed by Jacob Amman in order to maintain the practices of the Mennonites. The Ordnung constitutes the rules that guide the Amish people. On the other hand, the Americans live in the United States of America and include people of various different nationalities. Most of the Americans are immigrants from other nations except the Native Americans. The American culture is a mainstream combination of the Mexican culture, African American culture, and the Western Europeans Immigrants culture. As a result, this mixture of cultures defines the manner in which the Americans live and is currently dominating other nations across the world.

Another similarity is in the manner in which both parties run their businesses. They both use English as the main language in the world of business. Therefore, given the widespread nature of the language, then there are chances that they interact with the external communities for the purposes of carrying out trade activities. In the business environment, employers follow given codes of ethics when dealing with the employers in order to create a conducive environment which, in turn, ensures that organizational activities are running smoothly and that all goals are met.

In addition, the teenage years reflect another similarity among the two nations. The Amish people are Anabaptists and, this means that they are not fully members of the church until a person becomes an adult and is ready to be baptized. Therefore, they have the freedom to spend their teenage years experiencing the English world so that they can be able to decide whether they are ready to baptized and become members of the church or not. As a result of such freedom, then the teenagers tend to involve themselves in drugs, sex, barn parties and other activities that are not a reflection of a good behavior. This can be evidenced by the documentary known as the Devil’s Playground. In the case of the Americans, such teenage life is a common feature which is being copied by cultures of other nations. The teenagers have to experience the life of drugs, sex and partying before they can become responsible adults who are ready to settle down and begin a family as well as focus on their careers.

Another similarity between the Amish and the Americans is the value that they have towards a family. Despite the fact that the Amish believe in an extended family while the Americans believe in a nuclear family, the love shown to their relatives is equally important. In the case of the Americans, an individual’s family comes fast irrespective of the distance of the relationship. An American cannot abandon a close relative in any kind of trouble and would rather do anything in their power to ensure that they help that person. Same to the Amish people, they mostly live in an extended family and, this even strengthens the bond of love shared within the family. Also, religion is another similar factor among the two nations. They all believe in a supernatural being who is the giver and taker of life. A large part of the American people is characterized by Christians while the Amish people get baptized and go to church.

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