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Central Standard

The New Domesticity

Sales of home canning supplies have risen 35 percent in the past 3 years. Between 2004 and 2008 home birth rates have increased 20 percent with a 94% increase among white women.  There is a growing number of 20 and 30 something's who are spending their time knitting, canning food, gardening… raising chickens, bees, and their children using labor intensive do it yourself approaches to complete domestic tasks.

Techniques previous generations shrugged off as extraneous.  Emily Matcher help us understand the "new domesticity and neo- and urban homesteading."  A movement that’s bringing together Mormon moms, radical queers, conservatives, rural poor, urban rich and more.

We explore how this ‘new domesticity’ is connected to the political, economic and ecological climate of our modern era.

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As managing podcast producer for KCUR Studios and a host of A People’s History of Kansas City, I want to feed your curious mind, offer historical context so you understand why things are the way they are, and introduce you to the people working to make a difference behind the scenes. Reach me at hogansm@kcur.org.
Matthew Long-Middleton has been a talk-show producer, community producer, Media Training Manager and now the Community Engagement Manager at KCUR. You can reach him at Matthew@kcur.org, or on Twitter @MLMIndustries.