The Amish are a unique subculture living in the U.S., in that they generally do not adopt the norms, customs, and lifestyle of the broader society. 

Is the Amish a subculture?

They are a distinctive Christian subculture that traces its roots to the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Scholars define the Old Order Amish by two distinctive features: 1) the use of horse-and-buggy transportation, and 2) the use of Pennsylvania German dialect in church services and daily conversation.

Are the Amish considered subculture or counterculture?

The Amish are a religious subculture living in many parts of the United States. They emerged from a movement within the Christian tradition, basing their beliefs on Anabaptist teachings. Though often spoken of as a single group, ‘Amish’ is a general category that encompasses subgroups, like the Old Order and New Order.

Why are the Amish considered a subculture?

The Amish are a quintessential example of a subculture because they don’t conform to popular culture. Instead they live within their own communities and practice their own separate lifestyle.

What type of society is Amish?

The Amish are known for simple living, plain dress, Christian pacifism, and slowness to adopt many conveniences of modern technology, with a view neither to interrupt family time, nor replace face-to-face conversations whenever possible, and a view to maintain self-sufficiency.

What are examples of subcultures?

There are numerous groups of people that could be classified as subcultures, for example: hippies, antigun groups, high school jocks, environmental activists, people in the furry community, people in the cosplay community;,punks, goths, and many more (Lennon, Johnson, & Rudd, 2017, 292).

What are examples of counterculture?

Some examples of countercultural groups that have become movements are:

• Hippie protesters in the 1960s.
• Civil rights activists.
• Peer movement.
• Feminist groups.
• LGBTQ2+ groups.
• Environmental groups.

What is an example of subculture and counterculture?

Some examples of subcultures are LGBT, bodybuilders, nudists, hip hop, grunge. On the other hand, countercultures are groups of people who differ in certain ways from the dominant culture and whose norms and values may be incompatible with it. Some examples are: Englightenment, Suffragettes, Romanticism.

What group is considered counterculture?

The counterculture movement, from the early 1960s through the 1970s, categorized a group of people known as “hippies” who opposed the war in Vietnam, commercialism and overall establishment of societal norms.

What is considered a subculture?

Definition of subculture



According to Oxford English Dictionary (the OED), subculture, means “an identifiable subgroup within a society or group of people, especially one characterized by beliefs or interests at variance with those of the larger group”.

Is Amish a culture or ethnicity?

Amish as an ethnic group



The Amish are united by a common Swiss-German ancestry, language, and culture, and they marry within the Amish community. The Amish therefore meet the criteria of an ethnic group.

What is the definition of a subculture?

A subculture is a group of people within a culture that differentiates itself from the parent culture to which it belongs, often maintaining some of its founding principles. Subcultures develop their own norms and values regarding cultural, political, and sexual matters.

What is the Amish culture based on?

The Amish have their roots in the Mennonite community. Both were part of the early Anabaptist movement in Europe, which took place at the time of the Reformation. The Anabaptists believed that only adults who had confessed their faith should be baptized, and that they should remain separate from the larger society.

Is the Amish pop or folk culture?

The Old Order Amish flourish as a tradition-based folk culture in the midst of a progressive dominant culture whose values are very different. They lead a simple lifestyle based on self-sufficiency and a rich sense of interdependent community that has changed very little in the past three centuries.

What are the 3 types of Amish?

The three affiliations: “Lancaster”, “Holmes Old Order” and “Elkhart-LaGrange” are not only the three largest affiliations, they also represent the Old Order mainstream among the Amish.

Why do Amish not allow music?

As mentioned above, most singing in Amish communities relates to church hymns, and the Amish believe that a person’s voice is God’s instrument. [4] Playing a man-made instrument when singing damages the relationship between a person and God and is discourteous towards God’s instrument.