Leisure behaviour of the Amish

Abstract

Imagine a life with no mobile phones, computers, televisions or cars. The Amish have existed for almost 300 years with such austerity. How do the Amish remain so grounded in their beliefs and culture? In an effort to gain a better understanding of the Amish, the first author lived with an Old Order Amish family and studied the Amish way of life, focusing on their leisure behaviour. Religion influences every aspect of their lives, most notably leisure. When work is finished, leisure time is viewed as an opportunity to help others in their community and practise their religion. The Amish avoid consumptive behaviours that are believed to be antithetical and detrimental to church ordinances. However, consumerism is creeping into their communities in spite of the simplicity of their way of life and other protective factors they employ to surround their culture. Significantly, consumerism increasingly infiltrates the lives of Amish children through consumptive leisure.