Family and Kinship

Amish society is characterized by its emphasis on family life. Elders are highly respected, and their care is considered a sacred responsibility. As the original families multiplied, the eighty-hectare plots on which most had settled were divided in half, the youngest son usually taking over the original house with responsibility for the aging parents. In families where there were no sons or where sons had bought other land, a married daughter and her husband would assume the original homestead.

Although family life was typically patriarchal, women were treated with respect. They had no official leadership role in the church or the community, but their influence was nevertheless felt. Pioneer life demanded that women work in the fields, and the garden was usually their responsibility. Families tended to be large, and children learned early to participate in household and farm chores. The farm was regarded a family enterprise, a way of life rather than a business.The importance given to family life was demonstrated in the practice of holding worship services only every other Sunday. The alternate Sunday was set aside for family and kinship socializing. Young people were generally expected to be silent in the presence of their elders, but they were given considerable freedom in their social activities. All these features of pioneer Amish society persist today.