How Tattoos Became Middle Class
In the 1990s, middle class clientele used legitimization techniques to "to frame their desires for tattoos within mainstream definitions of success."
How Barbecue Defined America
The barbecue boom in 1950s American was tied to nationalistic concepts of the "perfect family": patriarchal, suburban, and white.
When Gardens Replaced Children
Historian Robin Veder explains that the way we associate female nurturing with gardens goes back to the way ideas about gender and work changed in the mid-nineteenth century.
The Unbearable Sadness of Toast
One scholar sees the toaster as a symbol of a modernized, industrialized society—the culprit of bread’s mechanization and a perpetrator of assimilation.
Teaching Happiness
According to one scholar, we're inundated with ways to pursue pleasure, which we conflate with happiness, to our own detriment.
Why We Drink Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day
Unlike shamrock pins and green beer, Guinness drinking really is a longstanding tradition in Ireland.
A Brief History of Skis
Researchers tested various ski designs dating back 4,000 years to understand how human movement on snow has evolved.
What Retirees Can Learn from the RV Community
A look at the RV community, where retirees support one another in the face of illness, mechanical breakdowns, or sudden financial shortfalls.
What Amateur Cookbooks Reveal About History
Remember those spiral-bound cookbooks from your church group or your mom’s favorite charity? Those amateur recipe collections are history books, too.
5 Great Recipes from JSTOR
‘Tis the season for feasting and family traditions. And around here, that means digging into JSTOR’s digital library. ...