My Culture

I've uploaded my paper on my culture as turned in to my Cultural Diversity professor. I fully acknowledge this only scratches the surface as it pertains to my culture; it was, however, eight pages worth, and I needed to stop somewhere.

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My Culture

At first glance, some people brand me as being "Amish," some think I am a nurse, others think I am a nun, and still others think I look too strange to bother acknowledging. And it is true–my peculiar dress and conservative thinking make me stand apart from the "norm" of America. The reason for this comes in a single word: culture. Culture, as defined in my Cultural Diversity class, is learned behavior, characteristic of a group. Suddenly, the things I’ve taken for granted as an every day occurrence are being analyzed. Everything about me, it seems–from the clothes I wear to the food I eat to the way I think–is a product of my own personal culture.

Mennonites

A Brief Historical Overview. I belong to the Mennonites, a branch of the Christian church whose roots can be traced back to the Anabaptists and the Protestant Reformation. Anabaptists were those people who were strongly opposed to infant baptism. They strongly believed that baptism was an outward sign of an inward experience and should be undergone only after becoming a born-again Christian. Because infants are already protected by the blood of Christ until they come to the age of accountability, the Anabaptists felt that infant baptism was not only unnecessary but gave that person a false sense of security when he or she was older. This belief caused much friction between the Anabaptists and the Catholic church. It was for this reason that many of my ancestors were persecuted in the name of religion and were martyred for their beliefs.

Early on, the Anabaptists were known to be a separate, peace-loving people, and that has remained unchanged over the years. Out of the Anabaptists came the leader of a movement that is called the Mennonites today: Menno Simons. In the late 1600's, the Amish separated from the Mennonites under the leadership of Joseph Amman. Committed to God’s Word and what it teaches with emphasis on simplicity, the Mennonites and Amish are often looked on as a peculiar people. Although I was born into the Mennonite church, my parents were born and raised Amish. As a result, my own culture is a mixture between the two.

Although Mennonite churches are found worldwide, and the subcultures found within are extremely diverse and vary from church to church, the scope of this paper shall focus on the Mennonites in general and the churches in particular of my own experience.

Both Mennonite and Amish cultures are traditionally considered to be very conservative with an emphasis in simplicity and nonresistance. While the Amish keep to themselves and shun many of today’s modern conveniences, the Mennonites are much more open to surrounding community and emphasize outreach to others.

Education and Beyond. Believing that education is the responsibility of the parents, Mennonites provide their children with their own private parochial school, supported by the church. Children enter school at age six. They are taught Biblical principles in addition to academics within the scope of grades one through eight. Grades are divided up according to the number of students within the grades. A typical school has three teachers–two with three grades, and one with two.

Highlights of the school year include two "programs" per year–one at Christmas time and one at the end of school. A program is a planned presentation of songs, poetry, etc., put on for the benefit of the community. The End of School program usually is followed by a day of softball and a church picnic. Activities throughout the year include field trips, hay rides, taffy pulls, birthday parties, and other miscellaneous events. A school year begins the day after Labor Day and ends about the middle of May.

Most children do not further their education past the eighth grade. Girls are taught domestic skills by their mothers, and most get house-cleaning or babysitting jobs; some go on to become school teachers. Boys usually go to work with their fathers and learn the skills of their trade, typically carpentry, masonry, or construction of some type. A strong work ethic is emphasized.

A few will go on to complete high school, and fewer still enter college. College is largely unpopular with the Mennonites. A simple life is held in high regard, and the skills college gives a person is a step further than most Mennonites are comfortable with taking. Statistically, a large percentage of students who enter college end up leaving behind their Mennonite heritage, a choice very unpopular to a people who places such strong emphasis on family and tradition.

Youth Life. From age 16 until the time an individual marries, each church has their own "youth group." A committee comprised of four youth and two married couples plan activities to keep the youth occupied. The most popular activity is volleyball. This game allows males and females to interact with each other in a nonthreatening way. The youth will also go out to eat on occasion, get together and play table games, or participate in more extensively planned activities such as treasure hunts or scavenger hunts. An annual camping trip is usually planned for the youth and is highly anticipated. Many youth look forward to going to Mennonite Bible Schools for several terms during the winter months. Many also go into voluntary service to various Mennonite-run institutions such as nursing homes or children’s homes. Some will go overseas on the mission field for several years. Many times, spouses are found in these environments.

Dating and Marriage. Casual dating is a cultural taboo. Mennonites believe in pure courtship and do not believe in divorce. Therefore, both dating and marriage are approached as steps to be taken very seriously; much fore-thought and prayer are invested into both. Marriages within the Mennonites tend to be highly successful.

Weddings are eagerly anticipated and highly attended. It is not acceptable to invite only your nearest and dearest friends and acquaintances. In addition to your entire church, all relatives are invited as well as the friends of your parents. Most weddings have an attendance of at least three hundred, and some exceed four hundred. Weddings are a community event, and everybody chips in to help defray costs. The cost of weddings are usually between two and three thousand dollars. The menu usually consists of a full course meal, including meat, potatoes, bread, salad, cake, and ice cream. The bride and groom typically go on a one to two week honeymoon.

Family size varies. Children are looked at as a blessing from God, and the average family size is anywhere from four to six children, a number that has decreased over the years. Longer ago, family sizes averaged about twelve to sixteen children.

Church Life. Church services are held every Sunday morning, every other Sunday evening, and every other Wednesday evening. A typical church service has a lot of a capella singing, usually traditional hymns or praise and worship songs. After three songs and a short devotional, the congregation splits up into different groups according to age for Sunday School. One highlight of the church service is listening to the little children recite their memory verses. Sunday School is followed by a forty-minute message and announcements for the congregation. Participants, including children, sit quietly throughout the two and a half hour, unemotional service. Mennonites are good at keeping emotions in check as is referenced in this popular joke: "The Mennonites will get to heaven first... The Bible says, ‘The dead in Christ shall rise first.’"

After the church service, children go outside and run and play together until their parents decide it is time to go home. Unlike many churches in popular culture, Mennonites do not file out immediately after the service, but instead take advantage of the time to fellowship and catch up on the events of the week. It is not atypical to find people still at the church in excess of an hour post-service. Sunday lunch is often used as a time to invite other families into your home for a traditional Sunday meal of roast beef, mashed potatoes, and other miscellaneous dishes.

Twice a year, a Communion service is held. This involves a time of self-examination to see if members are at peace with both God and fellow man. The service itself is a reflection of the suffering and sacrifice of Christ.

Young children join the church at the time of their baptism, usually around age fourteen. Membership in a church is accompanied by deep friendships and a high standard of accountability. Regular church attendance is not only encouraged–it is expected. If a person is absent, there will be many inquiries as to that person’s whereabouts.

Times of duress, such as illness or death, really bring the community together. Monetary donations are made as well as gifts of food or even time. Within the Mennonites, homelessness does not exist; the elderly are held in high esteem and are provided for by their children, if necessary, until they die. Widows are also taken care of by the church. Work frolics are often held when one is building a house or barn; everyone pitches in and donates their time and labor.

Language. Because many of the Mennonites have Amish backgrounds, a dialect of German, also known as Pennsylvania Dutch, has been passed down from generation to generation and is frequently spoken within immediate circles. For some, Dutch is their first language.

Clothing. The most distinctive part of the Mennonite way of life is their way of dress. The principle of modesty is emphasized. Along with a head covering, women wear cape dresses. Some Mennonite churches require fabrics to be plain, while others allow modest prints. Clothing for men is less distinct; however, they are still visibly different in that they are well-groomed and avoid loud clothing.

All dresses are homemade. Girls are taught sewing skills at a young age, and many become accomplished seamstresses. They will often accompany their mothers to a monthly "sewing," where quilts are pieced and quilted, or comforters are put together and knotted. These quilts and comforters are usually donated to charitable causes or are given as gifts to visiting ministers or to newly-married couples.

Food. Mennonites are traditionally known for their good cooking and baking skills. This is a world where the word "instant"–as associated with food–is akin to that of a foreign word. Most families have their own gardens, and much of the summer is spent working in the garden. Later, a lot of work is put into canning and freezing produce. Corn Day is when corn gets picked, blanched, and frozen in large quantities. Many families come together to help with the massive amounts of corn that is put up for future use. Tomatoes are used to make homemade pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce, and salsa.

Family

As family is a very important part of my culture, it is no surprise that my ancestors can be traced back to Europe in the 1300's. My mother’s side of the family came to America in the 1630's, and my father’s side of the family came to America in the 1700's and 1800's. My ancestors come from Germany, France, and Switzerland. Both my mother and my father trace their family roots back to the Hochstetler Massacre of Berks County, Pennsylvania–a historical event of the French and Indian War. Although the story has many different versions according to the source from whence it comes, the key facts remain the same. On September 19, 1757, the cabin of an Amish family, Jacob Hochstetler, was attacked by seven Indians and three French scouts. The Indians were unable to penetrate the cabin. Believing in nonresistance even unto death, the family barricaded themselves inside the cabin basement. Although excellent marksmen, Jacob refused to let his sons take the life of another and made them put their guns away. The cabin was set on fire at daybreak, and because of the intense heat, the family was compelled to seek escape by climbing out one of the basement windows. An Indian spotted them. The mother, one son, and two daughters were scalped. Jacob and his two sons, Joseph and Christian, were taken captive, although Jacob was kept separate from his sons. Jacob managed to escape when allowed to go hunting on his own the following spring. His sons were returned four years later after an appeal was made to the Lieutenant Governor. Interestingly enough, both sons were acclimated to the Indian way of life and resisted leaving. The last trace of Christian has been traced to his settling somewhere between Lexington and Louisville, KY. Both of my parents were descended through Jacob’s older son, John, who was already married at the time of the Massacre. He reportedly came up on the last of the Massacre and watched while hidden in the bushes. This historical spot is still marked today.

Many–if not all–of my ancestors have been farmers up through and including my father. But as with many of the small farmers of today, this occupation soon ended. Today he works in construction as does one of my brothers. My mother and father left the Amish and joined the Mennonites in 1974. Always a strong believer in education, my father has made a high school education possible for those of his children who wanted it even though two of us have had to travel out of state in order to get it. He is also the one who introduced us to the world of computers. What started out as a little Radio Shack Tandy back in 1986 has turned into everyone in my family having a computer of their own. One of my brothers is now a computer administrator in Virginia.

Work

Most of my working adult life I have spent either in teaching elementary education or in healthcare administration. I taught at the school in which I received my own grade-school education for three years. I then attended and graduated from the Bowling Green Regional Technical School while working for the U.S. Postal Service at night. I worked for Dr. G for one year then returned to teaching; this time I went to Kansas to teach in the same community where I received my high school education. I taught school for three more years, then returned back home to work for Dr. G again. This is where I have stayed up to this point, although I am currently attending WKU to get my major in healthcare administration.

The older I get, the more appreciation I have for my heritage. Because of my work in healthcare and my time spent as a student at Western, I have been exposed to the lives and ways of many of those outside my once-sheltered world. And yes, I have experienced "culture shock." I find I often don’t understand a world where the good of others is deliberately overlooked, where the fight to get to the top turns basically good people into vicious ugliness who look for and exploit the weaknesses of those people who get in their way. Likewise, neither do I understand students who care more about parties than about learning. I don’t understand a world where cussing is cool, where clothing defines the individual, and where regular alcohol consumption is the norm. But in the midst of it all, I feel blessed to still be able to find friendships that cross cultural barriers.

The cultural groups that are most important to my individual identity are my family, my church, and ultimately, my identity in Christ. They are important because it is these groups that have formed my way of thinking and interpreting the world around me. Many relationships come and go, but my family will always be my family. Additionally, my church provides me with stability in the midst of a shaky world. Who I am in Christ carries me across any man-made cultural barriers and shows me that truly, what is on the inside is much more important than how one looks on the outside or what one does as a result of the culture he or she may belong to. In conclusion, this study has shown me that my culture is found not only in what I am, but also in that which I am not.