Date of Award
9-16-2015
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Heritage Studies, Ph.D.
First Advisor
Gregory Hansen
Committee Members
Bryan Moore; Erik Gilbert
Call Number
LD 251 .A566d 2015 L44
Abstract
Within the prepping community there are a subgroup of preppers, homesteaders, and survivalists who to varying degrees base their behaviors and motivations on heritage connections. These connections are found in the form of heritage values which inform their actions. Prepping, survivalism, and homesteading are not a monolithic movement or even necessarily seen as a movement at all by participants who may share no connections with others involved in the same activities. Although preppers, homesteaders, and survivalists may display some of the same behaviors such as stockpiling food or other aspects of material and intangible culture, their motivations may vary widely. Past studies of prepping have mostly focused on isolating and critiquing ideologies. This dissertation will take a different approach and show a small amount of the variation within those who currently consider themselves preppers, homesteaders, and survivalists. Through participant observation and ethnographic interviews, I gathered information on American, Swedish, and Canadian respondents. Using the theories of Edward L. Hawes and Mark Leone, I analyzed a range of heritage values within living heritage activities and through critical heritage. What I discovered were a wide variety of religious heritage values, heritage economic values, critiques and acceptance of conspiracy theory, nationalistic and patriotic heritage values, rural heritage values, reliance on tradition, and a rich involvement in the historical imagination all enacted through living heritage.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Lindsay, Julianna Marilyn, "The Living Heritage of Prepping" (2015). Student Theses and Dissertations. 681.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/681
