The Amish and the Modern Healthcare Industry
by: Donald O'Bryen
Over the past decade, no society has escaped the impact of the expanding
machine civilization, or Modernization. Today's American healthcare
system, a product of the Industrial Revolution and an ever-changing
American ideology, has slowly alienated the distinctly human and stable
lifestyle of the small community. Long gone are the rural, family
practitioners and the personal experiences that they shared with their
patients. The biggest impact of a change in the healthcare system is most
evident in reference to the Amish society. The Amish attitude about
healthcare is conditioned by a worldview emphasizing religion and personal
experience. In contrast, the modem American healthcare system emphasizes
the science of the disease and ignores the person. Subsequently, the Amish
person solicits alternative methods for their healthcare needs. The
contrast between the modem American healthcare system and the folk
attitudes of the Amish is best exemplified within The Budget, a
weekly
newspaper for Amish and Plain Mennonite settlements, A Midwife's
Tale, and
other writings of the Amish culture.
One important principle that influences the Amish in health matters is the
Genesis account of Creation. They believe the body is a creation of God
and, while medicine may help, it is God who heals. An extension of this
idea is evident in the traditional use of "home remedies." Hostetler notes
in Amish Society, an Amishwoman's cure for croup as "Boil vinegar
and hold
the child over the full steam," and for infections she recommends
CC a poultice of milk and linseed meal." The common threads in all of
these are that they consist of "natural" substances, more specifically
they are of the earth, which God created. Here again, the religious
influences on the Amish view of health are evident.
They believe that God doesn't allow diseases or illnesses that He doesn't
provide a means to overcome.
Another influence in the attitudes of the Amish culture is the social
structure of their society. The strong social context of the Amish society
lends to a very intimate, face to face, cohesive group. A Midwife's
Tale
best exemplifies this idea of the importance of family and society in
health issues. The author states, "It's a home- and family-centered
culture, and the way they have babies is an extension of the way they
live. Newborns, for example, live the early months of their lives on the
kitchen table- everybody passing by talking to them." Another example in
The Budget discusses a doctor's surprise at a women's quick
remission from
cancer, followed by the sentence, "We credit [the change in health]
to the many prayers of friends who knew of the problem." In many excerpts
in The Budget, most of the ill are at home, rather than at a
hospital,
because the Amish chose to around their friends and families during times
of need. It's obvious from these examples that the community plays a
strong role in the health concerns of its members.
Time is another determinant in issues of healthcare within the Amish
community. Many times an injured Amish person will forgo medical treatment
for days, rather than take time away from the chores to ride into to town
to sit in a doctor's office. For example an author writes in The
Budget,
"On Wed. evening Harvey Yoder fell 3-5 feet from the silo, breaking his
elbow and shoulder. He did not go to the hospital until Thurs." Only in
severe cases, and after other avenues, herbal remedies, etc, have been
exhausted do they take time off to visit the doctor.
Because of their
rural social attitudes, the Amish produce a farther rift between them and
the healthcare industry. It is not uncommon for an Amish family to appear
unannounced on the doorstep of a neighbor. Without the modem convenience
of the telephone, a more social attitude of hospitality then prevails.
This attitude is then expected to exist within the healthcare context. An
ill Amish person, without the aide of a telephone to make an appointment,
may show up at a doctor's office expecting the same hospitality he would
receive if he showed up at his neighbors. Unfortunately, this rural
attitude does not mesh with the modem healthcare industry.
While the American Society has continued its fascination with modern
conveniences and the latest scientific discovery, the Amish society has
stayed rooted in
its rural, non-conformed, oral, folk traditions. They choose doctors not
on their worldly knowledge, but on their ability to show compassion and
personal interest in their lives. In today's modern healthcare system,
several specialists have replaced the caring family general practitioner.
Therefore, the Amish are torn between their fundamental needs and the
offered treatment of the modern world. Health is important, because
without good health the chores will not get done and the farm will not be
tended. However, today's medical system requires a span of time that is
incongruent with the Amish lifestyle. The resulting struggle leads the
Amish to hesitate to participate in our healthcare system and grab onto
the values and ideals that have helped maintain their way of life.
Through stories, magazines, and social gospel, the Amish once again adapt
to the surrounding change and further the use of the alternative medicines
that co-exist with their lifestyle.