“The Way It Is”: Land Preservation and the Culture of White Wealth in Lyme, Connecticut

Abstract

Abstract: This essay is a critical folklore study of the culture of White wealth and its impact upon land preservation practices in the town of Lyme, Connecticut. On the one hand, it seeks to provide an example of research into White elite culture that Anand Prahlad recently called for in folklore studies. On the other hand, it is a contemporizing of research conducted in Connecticut in the 1950s by sociologist Frank Lee, and a contribution to allied scholarship that addresses problematic land preservation practices and their relation to “soft” racism. This article focuses especially on the public statements of the Lyme Democratic Town Committee and the Lyme Land Conservation Trust, arguing that such expressions should be considered viable forms of folklore. I provide an immanent critique of both organizations and criticize their failure and lack of accountability to perform values they publicly declare as essential to their core mission. I further critically analyze a specific case study that unfolded in 2021 in Lyme concerning open space. Although a study of folklore, this essay is composed with the non-specialist in mind and encourages organizations dedicated to social justice and equity to foster increased collaboration with folklorists.