From Wikipedia:
... average of seven children per family.
Amish rules allow marrying only between members of the Amish Church.
They typically operate their own one-room schools and discontinue formal education at grade eight, at age 13/14.
Almost no Amish go to high school and college.
the educational authorities allow the Amish to educate their children in their own ways.
Desertion from the Amish community is not a long-term trend, and was more of a problem in the early colonial years.
Rumspringa notwithstanding, the Amish way of life has several built-in features that repel modern influences without needing physical fences to do so.
the Amish way of life has several built-in features that repel modern influences
Well, of course. That's how a culture survives without being melted down in a pot. In a certain sense, that's what makes it "conservative".
If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.
Notes for future OT posters:
1. Please add the 'open_thread' tag.
2. Check if there is an active Open Thread before posting a new one. (Immediately before; refresh the list-of-threads page before posting.)
3. Open Threads should be posted in Discussion, and not Main.
4. Open Threads should start on Monday, and end on Sunday.