Westminster professor presents lecture on Amish culture

Dr. Kristin Park, professor of sociology at Westminster College, offered a lecture on Amish culture and customs during the Sharon Historical Society’s annual meeting on Thursday, Nov. 30, at the Sharon Municipal Building in Sharon, Pa.

In her presentation “Buggies, Blue Doors and Donuts: Amish Customs,” Park provided an overview of Amish society, including statistics on the Amish population’s size, its geographic distribution and future expected growth, and major religious teachings and cultural elements. She also discussed misconceptions by non-Amish about the community and reasons why people leave the tradition.

Park, who has worked with members of the Amish community for many years, is active with the Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies Association and her writings about the Old Order Amish have been published in various journals. A member of Westminster College’s faculty since 1993, she earned an undergraduate degree in sociology and anthropology from Colgate University, and her master’s and doctorate in sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The Sharon Historical Society is dedicated to promoting and preserving the City of Sharon’s history while educating the public. Westminster alumnus Taylor Galaska ’21 serves as the society’s president.

For more information about Park, please contact her at kpark@westminster.edu.

To learn more about Westminster’s sociology program, visit www.westminster.edu/sociology.

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