Peoples & Things Joshua Brinkman on American Farming Culture and the History of Technology
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Jan 6, 2025 In this engaging discussion, Joshua Brinkman, an Assistant Teaching Professor at North Carolina State University and author of a new book on American farming culture, delves into the surprising relationship between farmers and technology. He challenges the stereotype of farmers as anti-tech, revealing their pride in innovation. Brinkman also explores how cultural perceptions, like the significance of pickup trucks and the evolving roles of women in agriculture, shape identity. Plus, he connects his academic insights to his passion for jazz, highlighting music's cultural resonance.
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Performing Modernity
- Farmers actively cultivate a modern image through their use of technology, countering stereotypes of rural backwardness.
- This performance of modernity is embedded in their practices and discourses, even as the stereotype persists.
Tractor Ritual
- Brinkman's daughter's first act upon visiting the family farm was to drive the old Farmall tractor.
- This rite of passage highlights the symbolic importance of farm equipment beyond its functional use.
Family Initiation
- Brinkman's wife's initiation into the family involved sitting on the old Farmall tractor, a symbolic act of belonging.
- This ritual underscores the non-economic significance of technology in rural families, representing legacy and progress.
