George Mason University students will present their findings as part of the research project, "The Cultures of Work at Arlington National Cemetery," on June 19 at 2 p.m. in the theater of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial. The event is free and open to the public.
Graduate students from the Field School for Cultural Documentation observed, documented and interviewed Arlington National Cemetery employees in May and June 2013 to better understand the distinct work traditions that make this America's premier military cemetery. This marks the first time the cemetery's distinctive occupational culture has been documented for such a project.
The presentation will feature oral histories with key cemetery staff and detailed accounts of how the implementation of new workplace technologies has transformed day-to-day operations.
The materials collected for the Culture of Work will be archived at the Library of Congress and the Veterans History Project.
The Field School for Cultural Documentation is a collaborative program between the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress and the Folklore Studies Program at George Mason University.
For more information please contact Debra Lattanzi Shutika, George Mason University, at dshutika@gmu.edu or 703-993-1178.