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America's approach to the school to work transition
offers little continuity and little assistance to our youth in this important
career socialization (Glover & Marshall, 1993, pp.593).
In evaluating our own culture's vocational transition to adulthood, it
is important to view how other cultures make their transition into work
as well.
We will look at the transition of one industrialized
nation, Germany, and one traditional society, the Amish. It is noteworthy
that both of these cultures successfully socialize and focus on those youth
that are not college bound.
We will see the differences of how the German
transition is planned and formal while the traditional Amish transition
is integrated into daily community life.
This site will discuss:
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the institutions involved in the socialization
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the values the cultures bring to the transition
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the outcomes of the transitions in these cultures
The Amish
Who are the Amish?
The Amish are a noticeable society with
their distinctive handmade clothing and horse drawn carriages alluding
to their simple and bible-based style of life. Of the more than 100,000
Amish living in North America (Hoover Seitz, 1991), approximately half
of them make their living by farming (Hostletler, 1980). Not only
are the Amish visually different from mainstream America, their culture
is different too, including their transition to adulthood.
How are children viewed in the Amish society?
In the Amish society children are valued
for bringing joy to the community and another helping hand to the family
(Hostletler, 1980). The families need their children and that gives
the children a sense of worth. For the Amish child, their training
for work begins as soon as they are able in young childhood. They
learn to work via imitation, and he/she is given much responsibility.
What daily jobs are most Amish children are responsible
for?
A young boy may feed the chickens, gather
eggs, feed the cattle, and learn to drive horses while a young girl will
do small jobs for her mother such as cooking and housekeeping (Hostletler,
1980). For the Amish, the main purpose of their home is to train
their children in the Amish ways of life; they believe that children learn
best on a farm because they can constantly be along side their parents
without external influences (Hoover Seitz, 1991).
The
Amish School
How is an Amish school different from mainstream
American schools?
Separate from main streamed American
public education, the Amish follow a different curriculum. Children
go to grade school to learn the three R's: reading, writing and arithmetic.
When does formal schooling stop? And What do the
children do afterwards?
Schooling stops at the eighth grade so
that the children may go home to work with their parents and learn the
ways of a working Amish adult. Instead of going to classes, these
older students (usually of age fourteen or more) write in daily journals
about what they do and learn about their homes (Fisher, 1986).
If the Amish children spend less time in school,
what do they learn?
What the children do not learn in school
(music, art, gym, social studies, or psychology classes) is made up for
in their vocational training from their family/community.
What are the values of the Amish Education system?
Another difference in the Amish society
from mainstream America is their value system. They stress accuracy
rather than speed, drill rather than variety, knowledge and dignity of
their tradition rather than progress. Children are taught to learn
thoroughly rather than to question critically (Hostletler, 1980, pp.183)
so that the community can remain of one mindset. Group identity is reinforced
and competition is not stressed because children need to learn to work
without being rewarded (Fisher & Stahl, 1986).
Do the Amish need any more formal schooling like
college?
The Amish usually reach a successful
transition to adulthood without ever contemplating going to further their
education (in a University or such) outside of an apprenticeship.
Education
Beyond the Classroom
Do the Amish have a hard time getting jobs
with the training that they have had?
The lack of formal education is not a
problem for the Amish; without it they are already in high demand for jobs
as farm tenants, carpenters, painters, housecleaners, and babysitters (Hostleter,
1980). The Amish learn just what they need to know, and if they need to
know something beyond their education, they ask a neighbor or go to the
public library (Hoover Seitz, 1991). In this traditional society,
girls learn from their mothers as boys identify closely with their
fathers. It is the family who is primarily responsible for training
the child for life, not the school (Hostletler, 1980).
The
German System
How are German youth socialized for adult
work?
More similar to our own culture than
that of the traditional Amish, the Germans have a highly effective system.
The apprenticeship program in their school institution has become
the primary means to socialize German youth for work. (In Germany,
all education is free, including the University.) The school is the institution
through which the children begin being prepared the school houses
a system called the dual system (Glover & Marshall, 1993) which complementarily
teaches vocational skills through the school and the workplace. The
German apprenticship system is a socialization process as much as it is
a training program (Glover & Marshall, 1993). This means that the youth
not only learn the work skills but also the people skills and proper etiquette
that they will need for future success in the work environment.
Organization
of the system
How is the German school system organized?
At the end of fourth grade, students
are divided into one of three levels of school systems, which prepare the
students for different types of vocational experiences (Hamilton, 1990).
Choice of who is placed in which school is based on grades, exam scores,
and teacher recommendations, but the parents can request re-evaluation
in determining which school their children should attend. (Hamilton, 1990)
What are the three schooling choices?
1. The Hauptschule is basic general
education that allows students to go on to vocational training or further
education in a select field. It goes to the American grades 9 or 10 (Hamilton,
1990) and it offers different areas of study, which include technological,
business, vocation, information technology, domestic science, and business
administration classes (Fuhr, 1997). It is most likely that these students
will go to their apprenticeship for four days a week and to school for
one. Upon graduation, most are ready for a job in the workforce.
2. The Realschule (intermediate school)
offers extended general education beyond the Hauptschule so that students
can specialize in their vocation of interest or gain entrance qualifications
to a University. It goes to American grade 10 (Hamilton, 1990). This system
is practical because it is geared toward vocation but flexible because
choice in the university is still obtainable (Fuhr, 1997).
3. The Gymnasium (grammar school) is for
advanced general education, or those who are college bound. It goes to
grade 13 (Hamilton, 1990). It is beneficial for those who desire occupations
with high educational demands (Fuhr, 1997).
How
apprenticeships socialize youth
What benefits does and apprenticeship provide?
An apprenticeship provides new chances
for interaction with those other than peers. An apprentice's time
is spent mostly at their apprenticeship with adult company (Hamilton,
1990). This environment socializes and prepares youth for the workforce
because they are already integrated into it. Apprenticeships make
the community into learning environments for youth. Apprenticeship,
by linking school, work experience, and career prospects, reinforces parents'
socialization goals and contributes to social commitment on the part of
youth, which, in turn, helps them to move more readily into careers (Hamilton,
1990). Apprenticeships can direct resources of an entire community
to aid in preparing youth for work, giving opportunities that parents could
not offer alone.
Conclusion
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The Amish system for preparing youth for future work
begins as soon as possible and is mainly learned from parents at the home
coupled with only the essential educational skills taught in school.
Most children continue the occupation that their parents did.
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The German system for preparing youth for future
work happens through the institution of the school coupled with at work
experience in real businesses (apprenticeships).
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Both of these different cultures are highly successful
in a smooth transition into the workforce for their youth.
They both differ from the United States in that
the surrounding community is much more involved, they both start the socialization
at an earlier age, and university attendance is not so highly needed or
desired for successful careers.
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