The Amish Case Study

During the past 50 years, the utilization of immunizations has saved more than a billion lives and prevented countless illnesses and disabilities in the United States. However, because many parents chose not to vaccinate their children, vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, mumps, and whooping cough, are still a very serious threat. These vaccine-preventable diseases continue to infect numerous children, resulting in hospitalizations and deaths every year (IAC, 2016). The Amish are a growing population who live a traditional, rural way of life, that is seemingly detached from modern health care. The Amish are known as a group of Anabaptists who emigrated from Europe to the United States in the 1700s, to escape religious persecution by both Protestants and Catholics. Members of the Amish are religious, hard-working persons who believe “worldliness” would inhibit them from being close to God. Because of this conservative belief, they choose to live a simpler life by minimizing the use of modern conveniences and technology (Igou, 2009). There are numerous differences between the Amish and non-Amish or "English" cultures. The Amish formal education system includes grades one through eight. The Amish may be best known for their farming …show more content…
The interview took place in the office of a furniture shop in Kidron, Ohio. My interviewee, who I will refer to as “Emily” for the remainder of this project was dressed in traditional clothing, typical of the Amish culture. She wore a long, solid colored dress covered with an apron, as well as a bonnet on her head. Emily explained that the dress code within her community encourages humility and acts as an expression of her faith. Emily maintained fleeting eye contact throughout the course of the interview. She was very soft-spoken, and at times her conversation seemed somewhat