Assignment 20 (annotation)

In doing research for my paper. I decided to read a psychology journal which discussed adolescent decision making. In this particular journal psychologists Valerie F. Reyna and Frank Farley discuss the risks and rationale that adolescence go through when they are making decisions. What I found to be particularly interesting was the eye opening statistics that was provided through reading this journal. For an example I have placed an excerpt in from the journal.

Excerpt: "The scientific literature confirms the commonsense belief that adolescence is a period of inordinate risk taking. For example,three million new cases of sexually transmitted infections are identified in adolescents every year in the United States, and more than half of all new cases of HIV infection occur in people younger than 25 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,2004). Moreover, adolescents have one of the most rapidly increasing rates of HIV infection (e.g., 37% more young people were living with AIDS in 2003 than in 1999), with an average of two new young people in the United States infected with HIV every hour (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,2004; Rosenberg, Biggar, & Goedert, 1994). Substance use also typically begins in adolescence, as do its adverse health consequences, such as the risky sexual and driving behavior associated with alcohol use (Bachanas et al., 2002; Fergusson &Lynskey, 1996; Strunin & Hingson, 1992; Tapert, Aarons, Sedlar,& Brown, 2001). Motor-vehicle accidents are the leading cause of deaths among those aged 15 to 20 years; 31% of young drivers killed in motor-vehicle crashes in 2003 had been drinking (National Center for Statistics and Analysis, 2003;Turner & McClure, 2003). "

This information provided by this source allows me to support the idea that it is probably not a good idea to allow the Amish teens to make such an important and life altering decision at such a young age.

20/20 Outsiders special

This is the link to the 20/20 special for the Amish Teenager Rumspringa
Amish Trials and Temptations
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=5214823

Usually, the "running around" period is done outside of the amish community. Some of the teens are amish by day...wild and crazy by night. They sneak out and venture off to where ever their firneds are gathering. Some of the teens actually move away. They get apartmnets together, do whatever they can to get food and survive. Yes...they have to make a choice to be baptized or not. They can not live forever without deciding. If they decide not to, they do not associate with their families. I'm not sure they are allowed ot return. I will have to look more into that. I belive once you decide not to be baptized, the decision is final and there is no turning back. that may be why these kids have such a hard time deciding. If they have siblings, they usually are not allowed to see their siblings either. Its a tough decision to make.especially at such an early stage in their lives.
I will look into some psychological sources and see if I can find anything. Thanks!

Assignment 13a

I have decided to conduct my research on the decision making of the Amish teenager to become baptized and remain Amish or to leave the Amish community and become disowned from their families. I thought it would be interesting to find out what drives many of the Amish teenagers to decide to leave the only way of life they have ever known to become what they would consider a "normal teenager".

Source 1
One of the sources I found is a book called Rumspringa : to be or not to be Amish. It discusses the period of time when Amish teenagers are experiencing life as a normal teenager. It talks about their endeavors, experiementing with drugs, technology, sex and alchohol. From the book, it is understood that not all of the teenagers of the Amish community venture off to see what it would be like not to be Amish, and that some continue the normal actilvity of the Amish way of life. Some of the teens enjoy being Amish and look forward to being baptizes and offically apart of the Amish community. However, in may cases these teens are ridculed and teased for not experiementing and venturing outside of the only way of living they have ever known. The book conducts interviews with the teenagers as they move away from home and are allowed to opportunity to see what it would be like if they choose not to be baptized.

The term Rumspringa means “running around”. It is the time, beginning at about age 16, when youth socialize with their friends on weekends. Rumspringa ends with marriage. (For those who don’t marry, Rumspringa ends in their mid to late twenties.) This period is an important time when Amish youth need to decide if they will be baptized and join the church or leave the Amish community.

Source 2
Another source that I will be using is called The Ethnic Experience in Pennsylvania. This book Explores some of the facets of the story of minority groups in the history of one state, and its studies attempt to spread the focus of the work geographically across the Commonwealth. There is a chapter in the book entitled: "The Old Order Amish of Pennslyvania". This book will help to give me a better understanding of the Amish history and their beliefs. By using this resourcfe I hope to get a better understanding of thier culture and their way of life.