Nye 6
the culture of consumption had its start well before
large corporations, but in the late nineteenth/early 20th
century leisure became increasingly commercialized
these are examples of how society shapes technology
one of the things that technology made possible was popular
culture
- some entertainment, such as plays and
classical music, became elite activities and less
interesting to most people
- amusement parks became popular, often built
at the end of trolley lines to increase ridership
- People's lives were less filled with work both because
the work day became shorter and because work had become less
satisfying
- the tradition that looked down on enjoyment lost out to a
culture of fitting in and display
- pecuniary decency: the way to get approval from other
people is by the products you buy (including clothing)
- working class men spent their time in saloons, young
women spent their time in dance
halls
change in culture:
- people had more time and money for recreation
- people increasingly defined themselves by what they did
for fun or what they owned
"The sober conservation of energy no longer seemed necessary
in a world where the power supply seemed unlimited." p. 164
Electrification:
- Edison
is only part of the story of electric light
- before Edison there were arc lights for outdoor and
business use
- electricity was available first in dense city centers
- only with alternating current was it practical in
suburbs, and only with government help in the 1930s in many
rural areas
- the trolley/streetcar provided better public
transportation in cities and close in suburbs, and more than
half of all trolley companies built amusement parks
Consumer goods were increasingly important ways that people
defined themselves
- which would you spend your money on first, an automobile
or indoor plumbing?
- the phonograph and radio made music always available
- brand names became important both for display and as
evidence of a reliable product
- magazines funded in part by advertising became popular
- household
technology
What values and trends shape technology
- increasing individualism
- emphasis on doing everything as quickly as possible
- sense of control
- privacy
- big things that are all yours
- newness
The automobile transformed the city
- people increasingly moved out of the city center to
spread out suburbs
- why did Americans chose this pattern rather than public
transportation?
- people chose the automobile and the detached
single-family house because they fit American values
- the automobile made shopping easier so added to the
change from home production to consumption
some saw the Great Depression as a sign that technology
allowed more goods to be produced that people could consume, but
that isn't the way it has worked out