http://www.care2.com/greenliving/sex-drugs-and-simple-living-universal-truths-about-teen-rebellion.html
Sex, Drugs and Simple Living: Universal Truths About Teen Rebellion
Over the weekend, I got my hands on a documentary that, while amateur in nearly every way, was as thoroughly riveting as it was troubling. The film, Devil’s Playground (originally released back in 2001) profiles one particular aspect of traditional Amish life in rural America, Rumspringa. Rumspringa, or “running around” as it is translated, is basically the Amish rite of passage, where Amish teens are encouraged to shed their pious and usually subdued manner, and explore the less virtuous world of modern American life.
Basically, what this amounts to is the releasing of a torrent of adolescent id fueled by drugs, sex, and general teenage mayhem–more or less the alternate extreme in comparison to the puritanical virtue of the Amish. The underlying idea is that teens on Rumspringa will gather enough information about the modern (or “English” as it is referred to by Amish people) world to make an informed decision to rejoin the fold with a permanent and public commitment to the faith, and to never again stray into the realm of sin and indulgence.
This documentary neglected to ask a lot of the tough questions like: how this tradition started, do parents and elders find this to be an effective tool in teaching their children about self-control and self-discipline, are there untold casualties (violence, drug overdoses, unwanted pregnancy, etc)? Shortcomings aside, the truly striking thing about this film was how average and unexceptional all of the Rumspringa teens seemed to be, considering the preceding years of dutiful and virtuous living before all hell broke loose. The degree into which these teens were able to traverse both worlds seemed startlingly fluid, and anyone watching would be hard pressed to differentiate the prattling and blathering of an Amish teen out on Rumspringa, to your run-of-the-mill rebellious suburbanite.
Now much like the Amish, Rumspringa is hardly new–as various cultures have their particular rite of passage traditions (walkabouts, vision quests, and baptism by fire). However, the nature of the Rumspringa concept seems to speak of some remarkable and universal truths about adolescence. Seemingly, there needs to be a release valve on the build up of tension, hormones, and curiosity, or else there will be hell to pay down the line. But what happens when the release valve threatens to destroy the entire framework of self-actualization and maturation? Are the Amish on to something, or is this practice of Rumspringa just a logical fallacy or wishful thinking as you watch your child go overboard and attempt to swim with the sharks?
Eric Steinman is a freelance writer based in Rhinebeck, N.Y. He regularly writes about food, music, art, architecture and culture and is a regular contributor to Bon Appétit among other publications.
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9 comments
add your comment »I think all kids should have a year off from studies or whatever to do other things. It brings them back to higher education with a more focus and willingness to learn. They are better students and get more for their money that way, rather than wasting their freshman year on boozing it up. -.-
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"I wish they would encourage these teens to - oh, I don't know - take some college classes and play some sports or video games. "
I used to work at thePhiladelphia Zoo and I'd meet these youth all the time. They traveled in groups; sometimes there would be a member of the group whose behavior visibly embarrassed all the others. They would try to keep the person as part of their group while "shushing" them.
The society is are not "allowed" to encourage the children to do anything. They are just supposed to let them loose. It's supposed to be up to the youth as to what they wish to experience. Some get into video games. Some take classes in school. Some fall in love with clothing and fashion. Some try drinking and drugs. Some choose to stay and further themselves. Some stay because they've harmed themselves and are too ashamed to go back. Some choose to return home and live the life of their families. Sometimes they return home after they have been horribly damaged. Sometimes not.
Sometimes a random parent returned to the fold before they were ready to, before they were able to experience something (see the ocean, go to college) and really wants their child to do this. They are not "allowed" to encourage the youth, but they sometimes do. It has to be kept secret.
We all have secrets. We all have regrets.
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It's just not a realistic picture that's painted. These kids don't know that they're giving up a life of being able to drive, go to college, have a career, travel...they just think the choice is between God (the Amish life) or Satan (sex and drug and alcohol abuse). This is completely irresponsible on the part of the parents. They are at the same time brainwashing and highly endangering their children. Of course, the parents don't really know any better, since they were brainwashed too.
And I say this having no problem with the Amish wanting to live as they do. I just wish they'd give their children a better idea of what modern life is actually like.
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The thing I can't stand about this custom is that it still ends up painting an unrealistic view of the modern world for Amish teens. They indulge in drugs, sex and alcohol and end up believing that the outside world is just as evil as they've always been told.
I wish they would encourage these teens to - oh, I don't know - take some college classes and play some sports or video games. You know, the stuff American teens who don't go on drug and sex-crazed sprees do. That would actually give these teens an idea of what they're giving up - a life of moderation - not the subdued, simple existence of the Amish or the dangerous lifestyle of sex and drug-abuse, but just a typical American existence. They can keep their belief in God and their dedication to purity. But they can also have electricity and order pizza from time to time, maybe go to the Tropics once in their life.
The saddest thing about this is the number of Amish teens who become addicted to hard drugs, especially heroine. They're encouraged to go to the extremes, and then if they decide they want to re-join the Amish community but can't kick the habit, they believe it's because their faith isn't strong enough, because they're evil, not that their underdeveloped body has a chemical dependence.
So we end up with teens who re-join the fold believing that the modern world is evil, and teens who are so hopelessly addicted that their life spirals out of control, and because they're no longer in the church, they're alo
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It's unfair to keep someone from the 'English' world forever. All Amish teens should be allowed to explore the modern world before giving themselves up to a life of... erm... Amishism. This way they can make a better decision on whether or not Amish life is best for them.
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Jewish rite of passage: Bar or Bas(t) Mitzvah.
Literal translation is Son, or Daughter, of a Really Good Thing.
The day before the Bas Mitzvah, you are a child. You work for months, sometimes years, towards your special night. The night of your Bas MItzvah, you become a woman and take on the responsibilities of an adult. Taking up household responsibilities. Marriage or eduction or both if you choose. Making financial decisions. In war torn countries this means taking up arms.
Age of this ritual in most countries is 13. Age in war torn countries is 11. Unfortunately, the legal age of consent in most US states is 16 and age of adult is either 18 or 21. This poses problems in our culture and our society. It's confusing, and can be dangerous. Trying to force the culture to fit into society (assimilation - bad, bad word) has been a problem for our people since they first came to this country. As a working teen, supporting a family (mother and sister), while pulling in straight A's in school, it was impossible for me to get my highschool to recognize me as the decision maker.
As a woman looking for an unwanted Jewish baby to adopt, I find that the rate of Jewish teen pregnancies is too small to count; whereas I don't have enough combined fingers and toesies to count the number of 13-15 year-old goy "mothers" on the bus every day on my way to/from work.
Obviously something about the Rite of Passage works.
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Seems like a good idea in my opinion. Let the youngsters get it out of their system, out in the "wild", rather than them holding themselves back and exploding at home. It helps them make more informed decisions about which path to continue down.
There may be casualties, but there are such for "English" people too. It's no less the case for one than the other. Considering how many pious Amish adults there are who have obviously returned from Rumspringa intact and still faithful, it must not be an entirely bad thing for them.
Closed-minded people choose to ignore valid facts of life without even understanding them. Like this, they get to experience, and thus understand, the "other" lifestyle, and thus find out whether or not they really enjoy the Amish way. I mean sure, if it's all they've known they most likely are comfortable being Amish, or some may pine for the other world, "the grass is greener" and all that.
So by finding out if the grass IS greener or not, and finding out everything in a whirlwind of discovery, it lets them get to really find themselves in a new way.
And finally, as for education, who needs advanced science if you're doing old-fashioned farming and tailoring? Education should prepare you for your future, not for acing tests. I find our modern education severely flawed and mostly useless. No big loss for those who learn more practical things pertaining to their culture.
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Karen, I'm not sure what experience you speak from.
From my passing familiarity with Amish ways, I would say that they don't get a particularly solid education, educationally speaking. You may mean that they've been thoroughly steeped in their culture, which I would agree with. Educationally, I think they traditionally stop at 8th grade, and they limit, for example, science studies to what aligns with their religious beliefs.
And if you've seen the documentary in question or any number of other stories on the topic, the extent of rebellion can be about as extreme as you could imagine, so yes, there are casualties. There's a whole range, and I think most return to the fold, but not all, and sometimes high costs can be exacted either way. The Amish culture has its dark elements every bit as much as the dominant culture, and sometimes the people suffer from it as well as from the traditionally sanctioned break from it. They're people, like any of us, and though they follow an ascetic path that's admirable in many ways, they aren't golden, and they have most of the same basic flaws any people do. Our society's not unique in creating problems for its people, maybe just some types of problems are unique to us. But young people feeling their oats--that's pretty universal! And their society trying faultily to cope with that, also pretty universal.
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Considering the number of teens who return to the community I think you may just find that this really does work. The point is that before they are sent out to experience Rumspringa, they have been given a solid education and been taught very real values. The things your so worried about (violence, drug overdoses, unwanted pregnancy, etc) are minimal to nonexistent. These are problems created by our society because for whatever reason parents feel that they can't trust the values and education they have given their children so must smother them with over protection because they might get hurt.The Amish raise their children to become functioning members of an adult society, the English or modern Americans do everything they can to keep their children from growing up.
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