Moroccan Teenagers On The Amish

For whatever reason the Amish occupy a special place in English textbooks. Perhaps it is because they give an example of an almost other-worldly culture that raises all sorts of interesting questions. Maybe they just serve as a nice counterpoint to any unit on technology and progress. But in any case, every time I turn around, it seems I am explaining the Amish way of life to my Moroccan students.

This time around I asked my teenage students, "Do you think you could live like the Amish?"

"No, teacher. I would kill myself."

I smiled at the hyperbole and proceeded to inquire with the rest of my students. One after another they gave similar answers. Not a single one would be interested in the natural peace of the Pennsylvania Dutch. While not all of my students agreed with the first response, a majority of them did concede the preferability of suicide to the Amish way of life.

There's a certain Moroccan sociability that overwhelms many Westerners. Moroccans' literally non-stop socialization doesn't allow Westerners their needed personal space and time. What we're witnessing right now is a shift of that cultural emphasis into digital technology, as Facebook, MSN, and Skype become practically indispensable for the new generation. While my students' parents likely would have related in part to the Amish way of life, coming generations will continue to find it depressingly inconceivable.