What can we learn about experiences of conflict from MO?
Mass Observation Archive is known for its unparalleled accounts of everyday life on the Homefront during WWII. From candid diaries, directive responses and Topic Collections spanning 80 themes, all aspects of the impact of war on people’s lives can be felt, experienced and retold. Using Mass Observation materials provides unique insight into what everyday life was like for people during WWII.
The Impacts of Conflict at Home
The gift of Mass Observation is in the intricate detail and deeply personal nature of the material. They can also be viewed from unique and unusual perspectives such as the Dogs in Wartime collection.
The gift of Mass Observation is in the intricate detail and deeply personal nature of the material.
Conflict and war can be explored, not just as a series of battles and victories or losses, but how their repercussions resonate through families, relationships and day to day life.
As a nation of animal lovers, it is no wonder Mass Observation felt it important to record this.
These materials demonstrate the impact of war on people’s lives and also their pets. They capture the very real concerns people shared as air raids threatened their homes, the new inventions for keeping pets safe and the efforts of the National Canine Defence League.
Since WWII, Mass Observation has continued to record conflict and war from the Falklands War to the present conflict in Ukraine and Palestine. You can see some of the conflicts we have asked about below.
| Spring 1982 | “THE FALKLAND ISLAND CRISIS“ |
| 9: Falklands/Malvinas Postscript 1982 Falkla | “Falklands War Aftermath: Reactions To Falklands Parade“ |
| 33: Autumn/Winter 1990 | “The Gulf Crisis” |
| 61: Autumn 2000 | “Current Events” |
| 67: Summer 2002 | “Issues in the news” |
| 69: Spring 2003 | “the War in Iraq” |
| 83: Summer 2008 | “War: experiences and reflections” |
| 85: Spring 2009 | “The Second World War” |
| 101: Autumn 2014 | “The First World War” |
| 124: Spring 2022 | “The Russian invasion of Ukraine” |
| 129: Autumn 2023 | “the Israeli-Palestinian conflict” |