Mass Observation

How we knew things before social media

Sometimes I wonder how future historians will document and interpret the daily spew of events of the times I live in. Whose stories will they elevate? Will social media accounts become the “source documents” of future research? What possible sense can anyone make of the important social issues of our times?

Turns out that this is not a new issue.

As the world sunk into dark despair at the beginning of World War 2, only two decades years after the end of the “war to end all wars”, the successful outcome of the conflict would depend, not only on whether Britain and her Allies had sufficient military readiness, but also on the willingness of Britain’s population to submit to the hardships that war would inevitably bring. Were British citizens able to endure rationing? Bombing? Heightened security? And would they be willing to send their young people off to war to defend democracy?

The Mass Observation project was a social research organization founded in 1937. It aimed to record everyday life in Britain through a panel of around 500 untrained volunteer observers who either maintained diaries or replied to open-ended questionnaires.

It would prove to be an essential war time tool for the British Government, a rich resource for historians and novelists, and maybe a coping tool to help us today.

Volunteers for the Mass Observation Project kept detailed diaries about their daily lives, providing invaluable insights into the home front experience during the war.

The project conducted surveys and distributed questionnaires on various topics related to the war, such as rationing, evacuation, and morale, and the British government commissioned Mass Observation to gather information about public opinion and behaviour, which helped shape wartime policies and propaganda efforts.

Mass Observation research helped the government understand how people were coping with food rationing and shortages. This led to adjustments in the rationing system, such as increasing the allowance of certain items or providing extra rations for manual laborers.

Surveys and diaries revealed the challenges faced by evacuated children and their families, such as homesickness and adjustment difficulties. This prompted the government to improve support services and communication between evacuees and their parents.

Mass Observation findings were used to gauge public morale and the effectiveness of propaganda campaigns. For example, the project's reports on the public's response to the Blitz led to a shift in propaganda strategy, emphasizing themes of resilience and unity.

Despite the project’s importance, there were several criticisms of Mass Observation's influence on government policy during World War II and in the years following the war. Critics argued that the Mass Observation panel was not truly representative of the British population, as it consisted mainly of middle-class, educated volunteers. This raised questions about the validity of generalizing the project's findings to the entire population, plus the observers' own biases and subjective interpretations could skew the data collected, leading to inaccurate or misleading conclusions.

There were arguments made about invasion of privacy, given that the Mass Observation project's methods involved observers recording the behaviour and conversations of people without their knowledge or consent.

Some critics accused Mass Observation of having a left-wing political bias, which they believed influenced the project's findings and the way they were presented to the government.

Nevertheless, the diary entries provide valuable insights into the everyday lives and experiences of ordinary Britons during World War II. It’s the detail and “colour” that historians and novelist (like me!) have been able to use to understand everyday life in 1940s Britain.

A housewife from Barrow-in-Furness, Nella Last was one of Mass Observation's most prolific diarists. Her diary, which spanned from 1939 to 1966, documented her experiences during the war, including the challenges of rationing, the impact of air raids, and the changing roles of women. Her diary was later adapted into a TV drama titled "Housewife, 49."

Observation: "I suppose this is how we'll all feel in this war - just waiting for something dreadful to happen. Like a piece of string wound tight around a parcel until at last, it seems the string must snap." (September 3, 1939)

A schoolteacher from Surrey, Olivia Cockett's diary documented the challenges of teaching during wartime, including the impact of evacuations and air raids on her students. She also wrote about her personal experiences, such as her marriage and the birth of her child during the war.

Observation: "The children were so good, so brave. They sang all the way to the shelter, and I felt my heart would break. What a world to bring a child into!" (October 15, 1940).

Common entries among all diarists were detailed accounts of their meals, a topic close to everyone’s hearts, given the daily difficulty of food rationing.

Edie Rutherford (December 25, 1942):
"Christmas dinner was a triumph, considering the circumstances. We had a small chicken, which I managed to get from a farmer friend, along with some vegetables from our garden. I even made a pudding with our meager sugar ration. It wasn't the feast we were used to, but it lifted our spirits."

Ernest Coppard (August 3, 1940):
"Breakfast was a sorry affair - a slice of bread with a scraping of margarine and a cup of weak tea. How I miss the days of bacon and eggs! But we must all make sacrifices for the war effort."

Marjorie Dyer (September 20, 1944):
"I've been experimenting with mock foods, trying to make something tasty out of our limited rations. Tonight I made a 'mock goose' using sausage meat and breadcrumbs. It wasn't half bad, and the family seemed to enjoy it. Anything to bring a bit of variety to our meals."

The Mass Observation project's diarists' focus on their meals during World War II bears some striking similarities to the modern obsession with posting meals on social media. Both practices involve individuals documenting and sharing their daily food experiences with others, providing a glimpse into their personal lives and the social and cultural context in which they live.

However, there are also significant contrasts between the two phenomena. Instead of showcasing abundance, variety, and culinary indulgence, the Mass Observation diarists wrote about their meals during a time of scarcity and rationing, when food was a constant preoccupation and a source of anxiety. Their observations reveal the challenges of making do with limited ingredients, the creativity involved in preparing satisfying meals, and the emotional significance of shared food experiences in difficult times.

The Mass Observation diarists' accounts of their daily lives during wartime reveal the importance of small, everyday acts of resilience, such as finding creative ways to cope with rationing or maintaining a sense of humour in the face of adversity. In our own times, we can draw inspiration from these examples and focus on the small, daily actions we can take to maintain our well-being and support others, even in the face of larger crises.

Maybe, we can learn from the strategies and coping mechanisms that people used in the past, and adapt them to our own circumstances. This can help us develop a greater sense of resilience and adaptability, and remind us that even the most difficult times eventually pass.