American History

American History

Question 1

Topic: Mass culture, sexuality, race, and the transformation of American life in the 1920s.

The year 1920 and the following years saw a significant change in American society in comparison to how it was earlier. Mass culture prevailed in cultural trends which changed the way things used to be earlier. People were now richer which showed in the way they spent their money. Advancements in technology made possible the cheap production of tools of mass circulation such as books, periodicals, magazines etc. while on the other hand, new media such as television and movies were also the gift of modern technology (MacDonald, 1957, p.59).

Economic prosperity was seen based on mass production of goods especially autos which led to a drive towards consumerism and credit economy. Consumerism took a sharp upward rise and helped in the emergence of advertising as full-scale industry. Consumption was promoted through a new mass culture in which radio, movies, mass circulation magazines became popular. Entertainment and leisure time was more and a lot of money was generated because of it. Sports were a more common national past time, promoted by tools of mass culture.

Furthermore, women were also more independent and were no longer restricted to the role of housewives. Their lifestyle changed a lot; they now went out independently, and had jobs. It was a major change in the lives of the women of those times especially young women. The mass availability of car and the rise of cinema are things that this new era saw. In the 1920's sex became an everyday subject with cinema largely contributing to its popularity and towards the change in society. Theatre seats were full and picture shows enjoyed enormous popularity especially among workers. Also, radio listening was an active hobby of the people. It was not just a passive work but working people actively took interest in it. People used to collectively listen to it with entire family or sometimes with neighbors and friends. Radio then exposed people to different new ethnic and cultural traditions and to new kinds of music (Cohen, 1989, p.17).

Music styles also changed in the 1920's. The flowering of African American culture in this era was also seen especially in the area of music. Black immigrants brought Jazz with them which gained a lot of popularity among young people. Jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong emerged as national stars and are still regarded, recognized and remembered. This Jazz music reached the masses through the radio and in clubs where it got a lot of popularity (Cohen, 1989, p.24). This was not the only influence of Blacks on the American Society. The migration to the Northern cities of a vast number of African Americans especially in Harlem resulted in the flowering of Black culture with newspapers, magazines, theatre groups, artists and musicians becoming popular. This was also referred to as Harlem Renaissance which was in itself a significant artistic movement.

Hence, the 1920s and the next few years marked a change from ...