Fashioning Farmers
Ideology, Agricultural Knowledge and the Manitoba Farm Movement, 1890-1925
Description:... This book presents a study of educational institutions in Manitoba (Canada) agriculture before 1925, the dominant ideologies that resided there, and the impact of those ideologies on the agrarian movement. The first chapter overviews a variety of ideologies, state structures, and agrarian movements in North America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During this time, capitalist expansion, the development of a bureaucratic state, and the experience of working-class and women's movements in Manitoba were interrelated and contributed to divisions that developed during the 20th century. The second chapter outlines educational institutions in Manitoba agriculture during this period. Beginning in the 19th century, volunteer organizations such as agricultural societies and farmers' institutes were established for the production and transmission of agricultural knowledge. Manitoba Agricultural College (MAC) opened in 1905 and became the mainstay of agricultural education. Chapter 3 documents the internal evolution of MAC, relevant academic disciplines, agricultural education for children and youth, and rural adult education before and after the formation of an extension service. Chapters 4 and 5 analyze the theoretical and practical components of the dominant ideology including the emergence of rural social science disciplines such as agricultural economics, home economics, rural sociology, and rural education. Chapter 6 examines the context of the Manitoba agrarian movement, 1890-1925. This chapter addresses the tension between the dominant ideology and challenging popular ideologies such as the radicalism of the Patrons of Industry. The last chapter summarizes how dominant and critical elements interacted in the Manitoba experience. Contains over 350 references as well as 91 notes. (LP)
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