Refrangible

Maypoles and Our Shifting Reality

For many European cultures, the Maypole symbolizes the dawning of spring. It alongside the annual May Day festival, marks the end of winter, a time of cold, darkness and death.

In this episode, we ponder the question: What is our Maypole, and how do we process our eventual emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic?

The Home Front

During World War II, through tight control of the media, economy and social messaging -- the U.S. Government was able to instill in the American people a sense of collectivism. Simply put, we were all in it together, and if one of us failed, then we all failed.

But, during the COVID-19 Pandemic, that sense of collective responsibility has seemed to vanish. Even while the coronavirus death count climbed, public health guidance from the federal government was viewed with doubt and skepticism by a large swath of the American public.

So...what happened? Was there ever really a true sense of national collective responsibility or was it just an artificial concept, enforced by the federal government during World War II to ensure obedience? Or, has our sense of community as a nation really just degraded in the ensuing eighty years?

In this episode, we examine a series of meal planning pamphlets published as part of the U.S. Government’s National Wartime Nutrition Program. The pamphlets were distributed during World War II, with the intent to help housewives make the most of their allotted rations. But, in addition to recipes, these pamphlets can also provide us a glimpse into how Americans viewed collective responsibility during times of crisis.

What is Material Culture?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines material culture as "the totality of physical objects made by a people for the satisfaction of their needs, especially : those articles requisite for the sustenance and perpetuation of life."

But that definition is just a starting point...