For a general overview of myths and realities about farming and rural life:
About the history of the agrarian myth, check out Richard Hofstadter’s “The Myth of the Happy Yeoman”
About the contradiction between contemporary images and realities of farming, Janet Kauffman’s “The Fantasy of the Clip Art Farm,” the piece that inspired the title of this episode
A discussion by The Heritage Foundation from the 1980s about how farming had already changed significantly by that period, called “The Five Myths of American Farming”
Sociology References
Lichter, Daniel T. and David L. Brown. 2011. “Rural America in an Urban Society: Changing Spatial and Social Boundaries.” Annual Review of Sociology, 37: 565-592.
Lobao, Linda & Katherine Meyer. 2004. “Farm Power without Farmers.” Contexts, 4:12-21.
Lobao, Linda & Katherine Meyer. 2001. “The Great Agricultural Transition: Crisis, Change and Social Consequences of Twentieth Century US Farming.” Annual Review of Sociology, 27: 103-124.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Jennifer R. Myhre, with editing assistance from Lea Li and Deven Sutaria. The music that opens and closes each 1500 Stories episode was composed and produced by Benjamin Henderson, who also composed the additional music. Sound effects came from Freesounds, including the opening field recording at a farm by SeenMS, the cow’s moo by Gavin Lloyd Wilson of Spurious Transients and the rooster’s crow by Milton Paredes. The 1500 Stories podcast was launched thanks to generous financial assistance from the Mellon Foundation and American Council of Learned Societies community college faculty fellowship program. However, any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed here are our own and do not necessarily represent those of Mellon or ACLS. Thanks to Lea Li and Melinda Poley for their ears in early stages of drafting this episode.
