Pop culture
Sam Severson
automobile
When the automobile was mass produced, it became more affordable to everyday citizens. "Sunday Drivers" could drive around freely and look the world around them. People could drive to the cities. Because of more personal freedoms, many families fell apart. Individuals could do things on their own instead of doing them as a family. Women could escape the tasks of home life and slip into the cultural scene.
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Radio and Movies
With the perfection of the radio came a huge industry. Sales reached $426 million in 1929. It drew the nation together and everyone could hear the news, sports, advertisements, and entertainment. It brought a cultural 'norm.' People wanted to dress the same and have the same items. It was the first pop culture. People also started to go to movies. The new industry made 90 million weekly in 1929. New movie heroes like Rudolph Valentino and Greta Garbo were talked about nation wide. Movies brought a sense of adventure and glamor into the households and also influenced the automobile because people would go to the movies weekly.
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airplane
Airplanes had been used in WW1 for attacking and overlooking areas but it was dangerous and was not highly thought of. They were soon featured in carnivals. Pilots would fly around in the air doing tricks and stunts and soon the airplane was noticed by the government. The idea of air mail caught their attention. Long distance letters could be delivered in a few days instead of a few weeks. They were soon carrying freight as well. The airplane was key in America's growth towards consumerism because it could easily bring catalog bought items to houses. The radio brought news of Charles Lindbergh when he flew nonstop across the Atlantic from New York to Paris in 1928. He became a celebrity overnight.
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advertising
When items were being mass produced and products were in supply, companies wanted to sell the most they could. Advertisements became prominent in newspapers and on the radio. They sold cars, new foods, cigarets, soap, and Coca-Cola, which was originally advertised as a medicine. Advertising showed that consumerism was booming and was highly valued during the 1920's. Everyone wanted to be in the pop culture scene and advertising influenced the things that were popular.
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sports
Radios were soon in the homes of most American families and cars let people travel. There was more money in peoples pockets and life was easy. This let for large amounts of free time that people have never had before. Sports soon filled the void. People could listen to the game over the radio or go see the game in person. Famous sports icons like Babe Ruth soon became idols to children.
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vocab
Mass Media- Communication that reaches a large number of people in a short time: television, newspapers, magazines, and radio
Consumerism- Theory based on the consumers needs and being able to buy things. Material goods become most important
Prosperity- The state of success and thriving
Consumerism- Theory based on the consumers needs and being able to buy things. Material goods become most important
Prosperity- The state of success and thriving
Mass Production- Manufacturing a standardized pattern on a large scale by increased technology and division of labor
Henry Ford's Assembly line
Primary source- apparts
Author- Sociologists Robert and Helen Lynd
Place and Time- Study done in Muncie, Indiana in the early 1920's. Prior Knowledge- Cars have had a huge lasting impact on the world and the way it functions. Audience- The general public or older generations who want to understand why the car is so popular with the younger generations. Reason-They studied the effects the automobile had on America. The Main Idea- One of their findings was that the automobile had transformed the lives of people living in small towns and virtually everywhere in the United States. Significance- The people of the time knew how much things were changing and that there was nothing they could do to fight it. (http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/progress/autos/) |
Significance
The United States is still considered a consumerism country that values personal freedoms and material goods. These new beliefs came into play in the 1920's.
thinking like a historian- Through their eyes
How did their views affect their decisions?
The 1920's brought individualism and new perspectives to the world. They valued free time and night life. They made decisions for themselves and not their families for the first time in history. The new generation wanted to go to college and move to the cities and that brought much tension between the older and newer generations.
What did they need to survive?
People of the 1920's needed to move past the old ways and take charge of their own lives to survive with the new technology and times.
The 1920's brought individualism and new perspectives to the world. They valued free time and night life. They made decisions for themselves and not their families for the first time in history. The new generation wanted to go to college and move to the cities and that brought much tension between the older and newer generations.
What did they need to survive?
People of the 1920's needed to move past the old ways and take charge of their own lives to survive with the new technology and times.