Today, people are inclined to think that the modern society becomes more tolerant in relation to following definite social norms, rules, traditions, and rites of passage. I can refer to such important life periods and events as the graduation from high school and marriage as certain rites of passage, but they do not have the real ritual meaning for many people.
The graduation from university, career development, and marriage can be considered as important stages in my life, but I do not discuss them as the real rites of passage. For instance, getting married, people provide their vows, but this process often lacks its spiritual significance. Social norms and rules of morality should regulate marriages, and spouses should not betray their partners. In reality, these norms are regularly violated.
The advantages of the life patterns accepted in our society are in the possibilities for the personal and professional development. However, the disadvantages are in the people’s ignoring many social norms because of their limiting character. It is the first step to the social chaos and decline which can be observed today in the youth’s alcohol and drugs abuse in spite of all the limitations.
From this point, social norms, rules, and rites of passage are important to regulate the social life. Moreover, it is almost impossible to determine some strict rules regulating the life of the modern people in relation to morality without involving the legal issues and laws.
Nevertheless, there is the world where people follow the social norms and rules strictly. According to the Amish people’s visions, the world can be divided into the ‘English’ one and the ‘Amish’ one. Thus, the main difference is in the religion and social norms followed which determine the people’s way of living.
When Amish young people are at the age of sixteen they receive the opportunity to experience the life typical for the ‘English’ world. It is the period of their rite of passage known as Rumspringa. The main problem is in the fact the representatives of the ‘English’ world cannot understand the meaning of this period for the Amish youth because there are no fixed or followed rites of passage in this world. The advantage of the Amish life is in plainness, religious rituals, daily routine, rural activities, and humility.
They do not use electricity, television, telephones, and cars. Alcohol and drugs do not harm their health, and there are no other provocations and serious challenges in this world, except the period of Rumspringa. That is why, following their Rumspringa rituals and traditions, the Amish people face a lot of provocative situations which emphasize the differences between the two worlds and visions.
According to Devil’s Playground (2002), the ‘English’ world is based not on following social and moral norms, but on violating them (Devil’s Playground, 2002). The religious principles are broken, the behavior of young people and their way of life are closely associated with alcohol, drugs, sex, and parties.
I cannot agree with such a position because it is only a limited viewpoint used to oppose the ‘English’ and ‘Amish’ worlds. Although some social norms in the modern world are not as strictly as in the ‘Amish’ world, it is impossible to speak about the Western world as the ‘Devil’s Playground’.
The Amish culture reflects the principles of life typical for the 18th-19th centuries. They wear plain dresses, men work as farmers, and women bring up children. The Amish people try to depart from all the conveniences as well as any temptation. From this point, the culture of the Amish people is based on the religious principles which help define the ‘Amish’ world.
The ‘English’ world is based on following people’s temptation, and the culture of the ‘English’ world depends on the secular principles. That is why, according to the stories presented in the movie, the ‘English’ world can be defined with references to rock music, premarital sex, alcohol, and the importance of money (Devil’s Playground, 2002).
Nevertheless, the features used to describe the oppositions between two cultures cannot be used as important to define them. I am inclined to define the ‘English’ world as more secular, but not as more ‘Devil’s’ one. The Amish people cannot live without their rules and norms. And the modern Western society tries to develop rules which are more convenient for them and contributing to the progress, but not limiting.
The rules and principles adopted in the society help regulate its development. The progress in the Amish people’s society is almost impossible because of rejecting the typical elements of the evolution, but the growth of spirituality can be observed when the community is regulated by preachers. Thus, the process of Rumspringa is important for the Amish people because adolescents can consciously choose the life and rules they want to follow basing on their own experience.
They can choose the most appropriate life pattern at the age of sixteen, comparing the ‘English’ and ‘Amish’ worlds. The Amish tradition to be baptized after making the significant decision to plan the future life according to this or that pattern is also important. From this perspective, the process of Rumspringa is the major stage in the Amish people’s life which helps cope with the life-changing issue.
Reference
Devil’s Playground. (2002). Web.