Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 6:40 am Post subject: Post for may 27th
Please actively read the 1920s handouts from class and Chapter 7.
Respond thoughtfully on our forum in at least 100-200 words. Please make sure to include at least one question for your peers. Here is one to get your started: Why is this chapter called "America, Inc."? Do you think that is a good title to summarize this time period? Why or why not?
I was interested in the way the handout (and the text) portrayed the 20's as the start of America as we know it; the America of credit and debt, of synthetic clothing and mass-produced comforts. I had never thought that something as simple as the invention of the assembly line (linked to the car, linked to capitalistic interest in more efficient industry) could so suddenly and radically change the American lifestyle. The concept of a car being affordable for many families -- not only does that change the way you build a city, but the way citizens think of the world. Your world expands (or gets smaller, depending how you think about it). Yet it seemed like the 20's was a terrible time for labor, and the other 'forward-looking' movements.
How does an expanding world restrict workers' rights?
Also, the idea that values changed so suddenly (if we are to believe the packet) is odd. "In contrast to a Victorian society that had placed a high premium on thrift and saving, the new customer society emphasized spending and borrowing". This was obviously a result of advertising, and companies trying to make even more money off people by putting them in the mindset of buying everything they liked (the new yearly model of cars, for instance). Is anyone surprised how well it worked? We live in a time where it's hard to imagine a world without advertising, without some kind of material component tied to every imagined happiness. How did we get here?
I think that the 1920’s can be summarized by the title "America, Inc." is very appropriate. Every part of American life was turning into something that could be bought and sold, pre-made and packaged for you extra convenience. everything could be marketed. It wasn’t even about selling a product any more it was selling the life style that went with the product. The new style of advertising would even have you believe that happiness could be bought and sold in the form of cars and shiny new appliances.
The 1920’s manufacturing strategy seemed to be the final straw in the depersonalization of labor. With the assembly line workers didn’t even have to carry their parts and with ready to wear dresses seamstresses were taken out of the picture.
One part of these reading that most interested me was the mass introduction of credit. On one hand I read it and thought so this is where we went wrong but on the other hand it worked so well then. It gave way to a huge boost in economy and completely changed the way America worked.
On an unrelated note my question is: besides the introduction of credit and payment plans would the boom in car and other product sales have been as impressive if it had not been for a new philosophy in advertising. In other words, how big of a role did advertising have in the change that took place in the 20’s?
I just checked my book and looked at the forum and I realized that we already have read and posted comments on Chp. 7 America, Inc, so I was wondering if we were supposed to re-read it and compare it to the handouts or something else? Thanks.
I just wrote a paper about the industrial agro-business an America (for botany by design..) and why the constant production and profit mindset is at our environments expense. The industry that America has built relies on the exploitation of any natural resources, which is why, sooner or later, it will come crashing down. This unsustainable system reminded me of the 1920s vs. the 1930s. The 1920s was a time of…supreme consumerism. Alfred Sloan, the president of GM said, “The primary object of the corporation was to make money not just to make cars.” I feel like this is the kind of honesty I have waited my whole life to hear from the president of GM. It’s a perfect example of how companies, especially during that time period, where not aiming to make quality products. Instead, the focus was to make things that can be replaced affordably. This intense competitive consumer culture was (just like the agro-business) not sustainable. The companies where overworking their employees and an economy that relies on a consumer mindset is bound to fall apart.
Do people think it is possible not to exploit an industry? It appears to happen time and time again that our economy depends on materialistic products instead of the essentials but when people can no longer afford the materials, the entire economy crashes. Is it possible to find a healthy balance?
hey alex i was really confused about that too..
we already read the chapter and did the posts... but i guess we're supposed to talk about the hand out and make connections??
The chapter is called America, Inc. because as people said in the previous posts, there was a huge shift of culture and media through “consumer-oriented economy and of mass entertainment”. Even in the reading, this period had an influence in “revolution in morals and manners”.
It was also interesting to read the lives of African American. How their life also changed… moved to cities to start something new, something other than farming. Then, because blacks were coming to cities, there were conflicts between whites and blacks with housing. Then there was Harlem Renaissance where black intellectuals and artists spoke out about their identities and opinions through music, art, writing, etc.
I will now answer one of the questions… “how big of a role did advertising have in the change that took place in the 20’s?”
Through advertising, everything changed. The way people lived, dressed, ate, and thought. There was advertisement of cars that made people wonder about “American way of life”. It’s funny how automobile was described as something that supports family togetherness, but at the same time it’s served as “portable bedrooms”. Also, it affected people’s eating habits and mass production of clothing. I thought it was really interesting how advertising organizations paid psychologists to make their advertisement more appealing. This reminded me of one the the articles that i read in magazine couple of months ago... advertising agencies actually take advantage of subliminal messages to affect people's way of thinking to buy their products and stuff. some researchers say that subliminal effect has no actual proof of affecting people's way of thinking, but its really interesting how advertising agencies really do a lot of work to make people have more interest in their products.
Anyways!!!! now my question is how does advertising affect our society today and how is it different from the past?
I agree with Lily that it is appropriate that the title is America Inc. I think the sequence of events is that mass production comes first, and then credit. Credit makes it possible for people to buy more of durable goods, and for buisnesses to borrow money to grow. Then American business turned to advertising to expand demand for the products that could be mass produced.
In response to Lily's question then, I don't think that advertising is as important to American capitalism as mass production and credit. I believe that it is technology not advertising that defines American capitalism. The i phone is popular not because of advertising but because it is the best way to contact people auditorily. (for the time being)
My question is how do the technologies of this period affect the lives of working people?
In response to Julie's question, I don't think there's a huge difference between advertising now opposed to the 20's because they both have the same main goal in mind. For instance look at Alfred Solan; "He advertised his cars as symbols of wealth and status.... Solan revealed the importance of merchandising in a modern consumer society." (The 1920's, Consumer Economy.) So even in the 20's advertising was trying to sell the idea of the American Dream, buy this car because your wealthy enough to purchase it... wear this watch and you'll be stylish I think the main idea behind advertising is still there, trying to sell superficial ideas, but the biggest difference between the 20's and modern advertising is that modern propaganda has literally taken over our society, in movies, newspapers, the TV, on radios, on buses, in books, the list goes on. Basically we are drowning in a society where the media tells us what we should buy and how we should look and all that. Modern media tries to dictate our lives, while back in the 20's the main goal was to take your cash in return for a status change.
One thing that really shocked me from the chapter 7 reading was the contract certain workers were obligated to sign before they started working for a company; "Many employers also required workers to sign contracts pledging they did not belong to any union, would not join a union, and would neither strike nor encourage others to strike." (p.177) This was called the yellow dog contract, and it seems kind of iffy. I mean the main goal of these contracts were to ensure there would be no trouble with the companies and businesses, but even having these contacts in the first places is kind of like saying, "Well there's a lot of complaints that have been filed here, and we don't want anymore of that. So we're going to hire new workers and make them promise not to stir up any trouble." Also signing these contracts is signing away your freedom of speech... Don't like the idea of that one bit....
I was wondering if anyone knows of any other contracts that have been made similar to this one, in which it seems like signing it will be giving away more than you gain?
Im pretty positiv now after this reading, economic resessions strengthen labor unions. for instance in the twenties before the reccesion unions were virtualy noexistant, but then as soon as the deppresion hit unions came back with full force. it seems weird to me that people would be most willing to risk their jobs for a union at the times when their jobs are most at risk.
I never realized how much of a cultural revaloution the twenties were, I always just asumed that thoese changes happened. It came as a surprize to me that there was such a strong backlash from the conservitives, but it makes sence.
th companys spent 3 billion in a single year on advertising, do you think that marketing was effective at this time, or did companys simply overvalue its effects?
There have been many interesting and good reasons in the forum explaining why this chapter that focuses on the post WW1 pre depression era is called America, Inc, mostly focusing on America's transition toward a consumer oriented culture and economy. Also, I think America, Inc. is a fitting name because the government effectively worked for the corporations instead of the working people. Here are some examples and quotes:
"Corporations elaborated their campaign to undermine unionism, with the continuing collaboration of politicians, judges, and police." (pg. 175)
"The business magnate had become the dictator of our destinies, replacing the statesman, the priest, the philosopher, as the creator of standards of ethics and behavior and reigning as the final authority on the conduct of American society." (pg. 176)
"In the workplace the employer rules absolutely, his rights protected by courts and enforced by police and private operatives. (pg. 176)
"Corporate clout in government reach such heights in the 1920's that it was hard to tell where business left off and government began."
The Supreme Court ruled that there is no difference between selling goods and selling labor...humans now by court are a commodity. (pg. 178)
"U.S. foreign policy promoted U.S. business...troops did stand ready to protect American investments overseas." (pg. 178 and 179)
"During the 1920's...the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed picketing,overturned child labor laws, and abolished minimum wage laws for women." (packet)
So although the 20's was a time of great prosperity for corporate America and certainly saw an improvement in living standards for many Americans it is important to also remember that labor organizations and rights regressed during the era.
To partially answer Adams question I think how technology affected domestic women was very interesting. Counterintuitively, the technological progress especially with consumer products (specifically appliances) like washing machines, vacuums, and refrigerators increased the amount of hours of work for housewives because the standards of cleanliness kept rising. So I'm sure that technology affected different people especially across different class lines many different ways but it clearly did not "liberate" women as the advertisements said but rather forced them to meet higher standards.
When I was reading the part in the packet that talked about the extension of credit to buy stuff such as cars and houses I couldn't stop thinking about the housing bubble/unregulated lending of credit (fed by U.S. consumerism) that has lead to the great recession that we are in today. Especially considering that only a few years after this consumerism and credit-lending started, the U.S. went through the Great Depression. With that in mind, what are some similarities between the credit-lending that fed the consumer culture during the 20's and it during the end of the 90's to 2006?
To partially answer Alec's question, I do think the cooperation were overvaluing the effects of advertisement, the companies were deluded by the false wealth that people seems to have. Although the roaring twenties did give an economic boast, still not a lot of people can afford expensive things, "Modern research suggests that half of all U.S. families in the 1920s had to skimp on necessities", "Average real wages (of the workers) (adjusted for inflation) rose about one percent annually from 1923 to 1929", a raise of 1% in wages each year right before the great depression....which I don't think it's that much of an improvement.
I know it’s after the posting time but i would like to respond to adams post that "The i phone is popular not because of advertising but because it is the best way to contact people auditorily. "
I think that the sales of the iphone very much has to do with advertisement. I mean think of the “I'm a Mac and I'm a PC” commercials. They have become sort of iconic in a way. If you go on youtube hundreds of thousands of people have viewed these adds. Buying an apple computer isn’t just about buying a laptop or smart phone, it about not being the lame guy in the brown suit. When you buy from apple you buy the name and the hip life style that is supposed to go with it. Sorry. I just really love the philosophy behind advertising. I think its one of the best ways to view culture at a specific point in time.
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