"In this fine book, Mary Neth looks at the economic and cultural
world of farm people... She writes from the inside, showing us its
attractions and especially its dependence on family and engagement
with community... Her book, like the farmers she writes about,
defends a world that does not share the dominant American values.
She is to be congratulated. She has done a thorough, thoughtful,
and provocative job of it." -- Annette Atkins, American Historical
Review
Between 1900 and 1940 American family farming gave way to what
came to be called agribusiness. Government policies, consumer goods
aimed at rural markets, and the increasing consolidation of
agricultural industries all combined to bring about changes in
farming strategies that had been in use since the frontier era.
Because the Midwestern farm economy played an important part in the
relations of family and community, new approaches to farm
production meant new patterns in interpersonal relations as well.
In Preserving the Family Farm Mary Neth focuses on these relations
-- of gender and community -- to shed new light on the events of
this crucial period.
"Neth does not romanticize the hard work of farming in its less
industrial stage; nor does she smooth over the deep division of
class, race and ethnicity that existed in rural communities. Her
careful and very human portrayal of the impact of these
circumstances on the lives of farm women and men provides insight
into the complexity of such communities, illustrating how the
intersection of home, work and community is constantly changing,
negotiable and gendered." -- Cornelia Butler Flora, Women's Review
of Books
"Preserving the Family Farm is well written,
meticulouslyresearched, and extremely useful for anyone interested
in agricultural, rural, midwestern, or women's history. Neth does a
good job of making abstract issues personal... Neth has done much
to refocus rural history and give it a richness that it should, but
often does not, have." -- Pamela Riney-Kehrberg, The Journal of
American History
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!