The Amish Way of Death

Abstract

Coping with death is becoming increas- ingly difficult in society today. Science and technology have replaced belief and ritual, most deaths take place in institutional settings rather than in the home, and the high rate of mobility of the nuclear family lessens the opportunities for experiencing life and death within an extended-network support system. The centrality of the family in Amish society and the unchanged function of the family unit present a rare opportunity to study relational support systems that have been successful in coping with death for the past 400 years. This article's author interviewed 24 Amish families in five areas: family structure, group structure, funeral customs and rituals of mourning, personal experience with death, and personal feelings about death. The article presents implications for psycho social issues in contemporary society in terms of improving the quality of life and death for the dying, their families, and the professionals involved in their care.