Compare And Contrast The Amish And Modern Day British Society

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In the following essay the Amish and modern day British societies are compared, using the main sociological terms of culture, norms and values, inequality and conflict, social stratification, social class and life chances. When comparing the societies it is essential to be familiar with the key sociological definitions. Culture is the way of life, all things that are learned and shared by society or group of people and transmitted from generation to generation. It consists of different elements that a society regards as important, such as language, beliefs, norms, values and behaviours. Values are widely accepted beliefs that something is worthwhile and desirable. Norms are specific rules that govern behaviour in particular situations. They …show more content…

They put great "emphasis on the values of humility, family, community, and separation from the world. Two key concepts for understanding Amish practices are their revulsion of Hochmut (pride, arrogance, haughtiness) and the high value they place on Demut (humility) and Gelassenheit (calmness, composure, placidity). This all translates into a reluctance to be forward, self-promoting, or to assert oneself in any way"(Religionfacts.com, 2015). This is a stark contrast with modern British society which values competition, ambition, individualism, materialism and self-promotion as stated by Hall and McGuire(2005). As pointed out by BBC(2009) Amish achieve separation by wearing destinctive simple made clothing, don 't own modern technology, have their own educational system, speak German dialect and marry among their community. "The conventional marks of modern status (education, income, occupation, and consumer goods) are missing and make Amish society relatively homogeneous." (Everyculture.com, 2015). In modern British society, a society with well defined social stratification, social class is based on individual 's income, wealth, occupation and status. Individuals are born into it, but it is an open system which means individuals can move up and down. Social class affects life chances and is related to unequal access to …show more content…

The Amish society is patriarchal. It adopts "traditional gender roles in which wives are subordinate to their husbands." "Men are in charge of the spiritual life of the family and are responsible for providing sustenance." "The Amish have a traditional code of ethnics that rejects sex outside of marriage, divorce, homosexuality and public nakedness as sins forbidden by the Bible. Modesty and purity are vital virtues." (BBC, 2009) In comparison a wide variety of family structures can be observed in British society. Single parent families, same sex, couples who are cohabitation, marriage outside of the society are just some of the examples, with many choosing not to have children. Even though it is accepted that men and women have equal rights, feminist theorists believe that women have traditionally been disadvantaged. They argue that men have better jobs in terms of pay and status. According to research in 2003 women in full - time work earned on average on 81% of male

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