Consumerism In The 1920s Essay
I have learned a great deal from this class in a short amount of time, but one of the most interesting things studied would have to be the 1920’s. Not only did the United States become the wealthiest nation in the world during this era, but some major social changes took place during this time. Consumerism grew during the 1920’s due to products being made more obtainable. Henry Ford’s assembly line contributed greatly to this. Each worker was given a specific task to do on the assembly line, and that along with the model T only being made in the color black, allowed for a greater number of model T cars to be produced each day. Ford also realized that he needed his workers to become customers, so he paid workers $5 a day instead of the $1.50 a day salary that was the normal. Eventually other business owners saw that Ford’s idea was a smart business decision and followed his lead, making more workers
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customers. Credit purchases also came about during the 1920’s allowing people to buy things that were once inaccessible to them. Refrigerators became common in more and more homes, and more people were purchasing homes. Suburban areas developed in rural areas since more people owned vehicles and could drive to work. The 1920’s became known as the “Roaring 20’s” due to the expansion of popular culture such as movies, music, sports, and fads by advertisements.
Americans were more informed with what was going on around them and what styles were “in” for that season. Rudolph Valentino was the heart throb that played in “The Sun of the Sheik,” and big band music with its heavy African American influence was widely popular. Flappers is a term used in the 1920’s by women who decided to test the way women should look and act, by wearing short dresses, putting on makeup, and cutting their hair off short. Women also started working outside the homes, and they were finally granted the right to vote. Prohibition took place during this time which made it illegal to consume or possess alcohol. This lead to speakeasies and bootlegging alcohol. With all the changes occurring in the United States, many Americans were uncomfortable with the youth culture and community life. The size of Protestant church membership increased greatly because many Americans were afraid of the changes taking
place. Another interesting lesson was the way that the 1950’s were and are portrayed as opposed to how they really were. The image versus the reality information was immensely informative. The image of the 1950’s being that there was only middle class consumerism taking place, and that everyone was able to buy all the things advertised on television. Also the idea of the nuclear family being what every family wanted, meaning that all moms were supposed to stay home and cook, clean, and raise the children while the fathers were the bread winners, and all children were well behaved. This decade is thought of as a time of innocence and simplicity, and there is much nostalgia attached to the image of the 1950’s. The image of the way things were and the reality of how things were, however is very different. The reality of the 1950’s is that poverty went unnoticed by the middle class and many politicians, but it did in fact exist. There were continued fights for freedom and equality by women and African Americans alike. Some women who worked during the war didn’t want to go back home and be a housewife, but instead they wanted to continue working outside the home because they actually enjoyed it. Television did not acknowledge the existence of African Americans on sitcoms at all, and there was the Brown v Board of Education case that went all the way to the Supreme Court. The final ruling, of course, was that separate but equal is inherently unequal, and that all schools must integrate “with all deliberate speed,” but many schools did not abide by this ruling even into the 1960’s. Another reality of the ‘50’s was the Korean War along with the Cold War and the threat of an atomic bomb being dropped on America at any time meant that Americans lived in a constant state of fear. Fear was widespread from Joseph McCarthy as well. He believed that everyone was a communist, and that spread more fear of communism. So while the 1950’s may be looked back on with nostalgia and as a time of innocence and simplicity, they were anything but those things.
customers. Credit purchases also came about during the 1920’s allowing people to buy things that were once inaccessible to them. Refrigerators became common in more and more homes, and more people were purchasing homes. Suburban areas developed in rural areas since more people owned vehicles and could drive to work. The 1920’s became known as the “Roaring 20’s” due to the expansion of popular culture such as movies, music, sports, and fads by advertisements.
Americans were more informed with what was going on around them and what styles were “in” for that season. Rudolph Valentino was the heart throb that played in “The Sun of the Sheik,” and big band music with its heavy African American influence was widely popular. Flappers is a term used in the 1920’s by women who decided to test the way women should look and act, by wearing short dresses, putting on makeup, and cutting their hair off short. Women also started working outside the homes, and they were finally granted the right to vote. Prohibition took place during this time which made it illegal to consume or possess alcohol. This lead to speakeasies and bootlegging alcohol. With all the changes occurring in the United States, many Americans were uncomfortable with the youth culture and community life. The size of Protestant church membership increased greatly because many Americans were afraid of the changes taking
place. Another interesting lesson was the way that the 1950’s were and are portrayed as opposed to how they really were. The image versus the reality information was immensely informative. The image of the 1950’s being that there was only middle class consumerism taking place, and that everyone was able to buy all the things advertised on television. Also the idea of the nuclear family being what every family wanted, meaning that all moms were supposed to stay home and cook, clean, and raise the children while the fathers were the bread winners, and all children were well behaved. This decade is thought of as a time of innocence and simplicity, and there is much nostalgia attached to the image of the 1950’s. The image of the way things were and the reality of how things were, however is very different. The reality of the 1950’s is that poverty went unnoticed by the middle class and many politicians, but it did in fact exist. There were continued fights for freedom and equality by women and African Americans alike. Some women who worked during the war didn’t want to go back home and be a housewife, but instead they wanted to continue working outside the home because they actually enjoyed it. Television did not acknowledge the existence of African Americans on sitcoms at all, and there was the Brown v Board of Education case that went all the way to the Supreme Court. The final ruling, of course, was that separate but equal is inherently unequal, and that all schools must integrate “with all deliberate speed,” but many schools did not abide by this ruling even into the 1960’s. Another reality of the ‘50’s was the Korean War along with the Cold War and the threat of an atomic bomb being dropped on America at any time meant that Americans lived in a constant state of fear. Fear was widespread from Joseph McCarthy as well. He believed that everyone was a communist, and that spread more fear of communism. So while the 1950’s may be looked back on with nostalgia and as a time of innocence and simplicity, they were anything but those things.