Soc Theory 473 - the Devil's Playground Essay

SOC Theory 473

Essay Assignment #1

The documentary, The Devil’s Playground, was one of the biggest eye opening films I have seen. The documentary was both informative and disturbing. We got a chance to see an exclusive view of the Amish community. The things no one would normally associate with the Amish community took place in the film. It is known that people of the Amish faith have a really strict way of life. The Amish are acknowledged for having strong family bonds and strong religious beliefs. However, from watching the film, I learned something new about their community. I learned that at the age of sixteen, the Amish teenagers were given the option of Rumspringa. The series of events that took place during Rumspringa consisted of Amish teenagers doing anything they wanted to do without parental guidance. Rumspringa is actually a time where the sixteen year old Amish teenagers are given a huge decision on deciding whether they are going to join or leave the Amish church. The first day of Amish sixteen year olds lives, they are given a chance to experience a whole new way of life. This new life that they are thrown into is described as “playing with fire” by one of the individuals in the movie.

The Amish teenagers are ultimately under a lot of pressure to conform to their society’s way of life. Through their journey through Rumspringa, they are unsettled in the more complex world of the English life styles. Yes, they were given a chance to enjoy the English lifestyle, but in due course they did not enjoy it. The sudden exposure to the outside world is basically like being exposed to the devil’s playground, hence the name of the film.

According to Durkheim’s concept of division of labor, this fits the traditions of the Amish community well. The members of the Amish society division of labor is organized, very simple, along traditional gender