Entry 3: "Setting the Course"

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Pick a quotation from "Setting the Course."  A minimum of two sentences.  Type it into the comment space below, and then say why you picked the quotation.

Did it tell you something you didn't know or hadn't thought about?
Was it unclear to you?
Do you find what the author says debatable?
Do you think it particularly important to the argument of the piece?

This is a rather long piece with lots of detail, some of it interesting, and ideas tucked in all over the place.  Pay particular attention to mention of the social organizational functions of consumer society.

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"[New consumer goods] introduced new styles of life, especially fresh ways of accommodating the societal changes that gripped turn-of-the century Americans." (16)

I picked this quote because I feel that it helped describe the overall message of the article. It describes the changes that happened in the 1900-1930s that made life easier. Cars and canned foods are just two of the new consumer goods that were introduced. These two examples did in fact introduce a new style of life; people's lives became much more convenient. In a society when something new is introduced you can count on many people wanting to try this new product and when the product is effective it will most likely change the society. When cars and canned foods were introduced they became so popular that everyone did use them and it accommodated society in a good way.

By 1910, women were already 40 percent of the audience in New York. and many observers believed that the movie houses drew men away from male saloons for outings with women. The new rituals of dating accompanied this commercial culture of fun" (26)

I picked this quotation because it actually brought up something I had never fully thought about. Before reading this quote, it had never really hit me how dating is a huge part of consumer culture and after reading the quote it is glaringly obvious to me now. I mean I knew like when I saw ads for rings on TV and other stuff like that they were supposed to appeal to consumers, but It never hit me how the physical dates themselves (like dinner and a movie) are consumer acts.

“The way to spur the consumption of material goods was to dematerialize them. A food was not just something for breakfast, but rather something to inspire confidence, an indication that you were doing a good job as a mother.” - Cross, pg. 22

I chose this quote because I thought it gave some interesting analysis of some of the new products and how they were marketed to the consumer during this time period. As the consumer, you were not just necessarily buying the product, but really “doing what you were supposed to do”. I knew that these tactics were used at this period of time, but I did not know that they were used to the same extent the quote portrays. Nowadays, the same ideals are utilized in advertising, especially to women and children. I wonder if this quote is taken out of context as it suggests a type of propaganda these material goods used. Ultimately, the quote does a great job representing the piece’s argument as a whole. It tells the reader that the new materialistic society has changed the way society works. Now people are consumers, hoping to jump classes or show their own personal freedoms.

“Products gave Americans ways of identifying themselves in groups when the old associations of family and neighborhood no longer worked” (Cross 26).

I chose this quote because I think it reflects how second-generation immigrants assimilated to the American culture by replacing family customs with material goods. These products paved the way for new generations because they enabled them to look and act like everyone else. Since new generations adapted quickly to the American lifestyle while older ones tried to preserve their traditions against “American materialism”, the younger generations often criticized their elders of being ignorant of their new lifestyles. What the new generations did not understand was materials were only superficial and in order to adapt to a new and changing society, one had to integrate old with new to create a meaningful lifestyle.

"Consumables reconciled ambiguous attitudes toward the past and future and reduced anxiety about change" (30)

I picked this quote because I agreed to what Cross was referring to about how consumables were becoming particularly an increasing part of human necessity in every day life. Products were introducing new lifestyles to society and it made life easier than before. Spending on new products, "gave identity to individuals"(17) and Americans redefined their status by the accountability of new and entertaining products. Technological advancements such as: car, film, camera, etc. were used by people that accommodated their life in a much better and effective way. This new change that occurred during the 1900-1930 gave a new domestic approach to people and towards society that in the end changed things in a positive manner.

"The 'real work' of American collegians in the 1920s was responding positively to fads in dress, speech, music, and dance. While such a recreational culture placed a premium on superficiality, it also taught the useful skills of adjusting rapidly to change and of conforming to group norms."

This excerpt just jumped out at me because I feel that this is still very much the case today. I suppose I have taken this fact for granted. In reading "Setting the Course" it became clear that the kind of adolescence which I currently enjoy didn't even exist a century ago when schooling stopped at eighth grade. It is amazing to think that advertising and commercialization is largely to thank for creating a space between infancy and adulthood where one is encouraged to do nothing but learn and play (as opposed to work). In other words, society has been manipulated into giving youths greater freedom all because it allows companies to sell more of their products. Greed (or something like it) leads to freedom, how odd.

"Coney Island was not a rejection of self-control and respectability. Instead, it was a place where people could find temporary relief from the constraints of family and ethnic values in a playful and provocative, yet controlled and even vaguely uplifting, environment." pg. 26

I never really thought about how consumerism has changed people's relationships with not only family but with everyone in society. This quote embodies that message by pointing out that people try to get away from the "constraints of family" as if family is a burden, while previously in society everything was about family and neighbors etc. The article discussed positive and negative changes in relationships between parents and children which have continually developed to present. I personally found it disturbing that so few people had family dinners together even 100 years ago. I have noticed this at present but it is still disheartening. It is interesting to think about how our society has progressed. More specifically towards this quote I never thought about the different reasons for amusements parks, the reasons like escaping from family and ethnic values, it seems as though they are places that could be shared with family and help relationships, but I think that is unrealistic and it actually makes sense that amusement parks are places to escape every day life and live carefree for at least a moment.

"But ads also gave meaning to consumption, showing how products could be used to shape personal identity and social relationships." (23)

I picked this quote because I agree that ads have a large impact on whether a person will buy the product or not. For example, certain cologne ads show a man getting a lot of attention from women. Men will buy the product because they think it will improve their social relationships with women. I have personally bought products just because I like their advertisements.

"Packages seduced shoppers with the subliminal appeal of their color and shape and made them loyal consumers with the predictable flavor and feel of their contents" (Cross 22).

Cross talks about how America's consumer goods skyrocketed in the twentieth century. But one important way this happened was because of smart advertising. Improvements in practically everything led to corporation growth, and made these common retailers rich. The greatest improvements in selling goods weren't just how they were sold in a brown box, they were sold by making their boxes appealing and able to catch the consumers eye. They did this by creating a name for their company which in turn, " democratized American life at a time when social differences were extreme". Products like Coca-Cola were sold to everyone, and because of their world wide advertising it became and American drink. This quote is important to this article because it explains how something so little (like Coke) can affect the world. Trademarks on simple house hold items have more meaning than just their title. Because of advertising, name-brand buying provided a house-hold with goods which gave meaning to consumers to "shape their personal identity and better their social relationships."

"Retailers found that customers bought more without staff advice or intimidation. Self service stores were open and airy and gave the feeling of abundance that encouraged free spending"

I can see how this would work well. The sales clerk, in your face never induces comfortable spending, and makes the customer want to leave the shop. Making the customer feel comfortable instead, or welcome, would make them more inclined to give the shop their money. Also, it is easier to resist the persuasion of something, or someone tangible that you can see, attempting to persuade you to buy things. It is less easy to resist the persuasion of something you are only subconsciously aware of, such as most advertising arriving at this time.

“Products gave Americans ways of identifying themselves in groups when the old associations of family and neighborhood no longer worked”

I picked this quotation because it made me think about how much society has transformed to rely on material goods to make up for sentimental values. It is sad to think how common it is for people to identify themselves with the materialistic things one may possess rather than by their inner interests and family. The new generations need to realize that the materialistic things today have not always been available to people and that people should not rely on products that only cut short their inevitable adaptation that goes deeper than things you can buy.

"If consumer culture leveled social differences and gave individuals the freedom to define themselves, it also reflected an American society divided by class and burdenend by its 'hidden injuries.' Shopping sometimes was a defensive reaction to insults from the class above or an offensive response to the intrusion of the classes below."

I chose this quote because i can relate to it even today in the society we live in, and it makes sense to me. People are always trying to get the new things that are "in" even if they have belongings that are just as good but maybe from previous years. They try to keep up with the trend and and once something is out of season they get the next best thing. It also is true that shopping can seperate classes. Depending on the type of car you own or the clothing you wear, people will judge you based on these things. Certain belongings can make a person feel superior to others. This quote shows how materialistic our world has become since consumer goods became big.

"Still, a fundamental change had occurred since the days of court aristocracies and sumptuary laws"

I thought this quote was interesting becaue the change that I the author is taking about here reflects greatly in our generation today. During the days before the 1900s when status, elite and hierarchy or even birth meant a huge deal, In the modern consumerism culture, all of this status is no longer relevant and it has been replaced by what the author calls "Symbolic goods where ordinary people, immigrants, the young and the newly urbannised etc to feel a sense of belonging rather feeling like their nobody. The consumer culture created a level of social difference where people feel individaul and free to defined themselves. This i believe was very different from the aristocracy age.

“Symbolic goods also helped ordinary shy people avoid self-disclosure. They aided immigrants, the young, the newly urbanized, or the simply insecure to avoid the humiliation of being nobodies and the anxiety of facing a world of strangers.” (p.18)
I chose this quotation because what these two sentences demonstrate is true. When a person feels out of place, to belong to a certain group, they buy clothing or “symbolic goods” to fit into that social gathering. This is especially true in the case of immigrants. When immigrants arrive at USA, you could perceive that they have a different way of dressing, speaking, etc. To adapt to the American system, they begin to dress like everyone else because they do not like the feeling of being a stranger. “Symbolic goods” are helpful in that it aids immigrants with avoiding humiliation, loneliness, and confronting “a world of strangers.” I remember the day my brother arrived from El Salvador. His style of dressing was awkward for me. You could tell that he was not from California. I recall that the first couple of months my brother felt bored, weird, and out of place. But throughout the years his style of dressing began to change. Changing his way of dressing gave him more confidence. Now, if you see him, he looks different from when he first arrived. He adapted to the changes of society.

"The American system worked because it assumed and often created material progress. Americans endured the humiliation of poverty only because it was supposed to be temporary and to spur the individual on to achievement and a seat nearer the head of the table." (18)

I found this to be a quote that described by what method people in America became so successful. A continuous parallel has been drawn by the article of life in America vs. Europe. No one truly understood how America could have risen to prosperity and success in a very short amount of time and why other countries did not see the same bright future ahead of them. The psychological method used to stimulate people to work hard had provided the people and the government with a benefit that improved the country as a whole. The knowledge that hard work should and does pay off in the end showed the people that if they endure pain now, they will have happiness later. This is an interesting political correlation that got me to compare the methods of other countries and why they might not be efficient economically with their methods of life.

"The personality on the label was a bridge from manufacturer to customer, replacing the old personal relationship between storekeeper and shopper. In an increasingly mobile society, customers were more likely to know "Sunny Jim" or "Betty Crocker" than the clerk behind the counter." (30)

This quote shows the transition of the consumer of the 19th century to the consumer of the 20th century. As the personal relationship fades between the shopkeeper and the shopper, the customer comes to rely on the familiarity of the name brand for a quality and consistent product. The consumer also develops an emotional attachment to a specific brand, making it more likely that they will buy their product over that of an unknown brand. I found this interesting because even 100 years after the role of the trustworthy retailer has diminished, I myself am affected this way when I buy products. Majority of the time, I buy something because I trust the brand and their image, not the advice the shopkeeper gives me.

"...ads may have made people more superficial in their judgements of others and themselves, but these appeals were also rational and advantageous. In an increasingly mobile society, such reliance of 'externals' was a sensible way of communicating because many people important to Americans really did not know them (their families, personalities, characters)" (25).

This quote was striking to me because it applies just as well today as it does one hundred years ago. Americans are so detached from each other that 'externals' are the first, and often only way we get to know someone. By the way people dress or what they buy, we are able to make an immediate assessment of their personality. Because we have such little time getting to know people, we place incredible value on physical appearance. In modern consumer society, one's physical appearance is basically a reflection of one's personality, family, and character. I'm not sure how I feel about this.

"The first recorded trafiic jam in New York City, in 1916, was made possible by the mass production of the Model T ford." pg 19

This quote kind of popped out not only because it followed a picture but the sheer amount of cars that were available even 100 years ago is astounding. It is interesting to think that although all the cars were made in black and looked the same it eventually developed in to what we have today.

“The message was quite subtle. One the one hand, modern appliances freed time for leisure and service activities outside the home. On the other hand, housework, aided by modern appliances, was not really work and the middle-class homemaker could do it herself without the loss of status.” (30)

I found this quote interesting because I think it reveals a contradictory standard that new consumer products created for women. New domestic appliances inspired women to become more modern by lessening their domestic labor without the need for a servant, while at the same time enforcing traditional feminine roles as homemakers. These new products surely made housekeeping easier for middle-class women and allowed them more free time. However, they were also likely harmful to women's attempts to modernize their roles in the society because they blended the identities of modern and traditional women, thereby creating the image of a "modern" woman as one who was just as devoted, if not more so, to domestic science and labor as her traditional counterpart.

"Consumer culture redefined youth, transforming it from mostly a period of growth and transition to family and work responsibilities into a time of membership in a distinct consumption community” (pg 40)

This quote stood out to me because at one point, life for adolescence was focused on simply growing up until the consumerist revolution transformed it. Things such as dance halls, movie theaters, clothing and cosmetics became directly marketed at this age group. Family and social values were also affected by the consumer culture. For example, from dating rituals to extended education, to giving children allowance, the availability of consumer goods and their advertisement to the masses affected people’s way of life. In today’s world, many people cannot function without their Blackberrys, laptops, make-up bags, and stiletto heels, when they didn’t even exist not too long ago. Consumer goods govern society as a whole, from people’s behaviors to live style choices and in my opinion that is truly revolutionary.

"No century began with as much promise for change as the twentieth. The automobile and airplane, motion pictures and radio, the electric light and appliances, bottled soft drinks and canned soups, all so prosaic and common at the end of the century, were the new wonders of 1900."

This quote interested me because it makes me wonder what the future holds for us and how the end of the twenty first century would be. Right now, at the start of the twenty first century our lives are already filled with technology. Some might even argue that our lives are dominated by technology. The constant improvement of technology greatly spurs consumerism. But I think people are finally starting to see what this constant upgrade in new technology is costing them both financially and environmentally. People are starting to question the necessity of having a new generation of iPods or iPhones each year. They are starting to realize how soon technology depreciates in values and thus are more careful with their purchase. No one wants to spend $300 on a phone just to have a better version come out a few months later making their recent purchase obsolete. I believe that if companies continue with this trend of constantly upgrading electronics people would eventually get turned off. Companies should respect their customers enough to release an item that will service their customers for years to come, not for the next 12 months.

“But ads also gave meaning to consumption, showing how products could be used to shape personal identity and social relationships.”

I chose this quote because I think it’s extremely interesting how this has become more and more true as time goes on. More and more advertisements cater towards a certain kind of lifestyle now, with some hardly even showing the product. Beer advertisements for example tend to focus on a beautiful woman who is leaning up against an open cooler with beer bottles inside. Even though the beer is the product being sold it is most definitely not the focus of the ad. The woman is the one being displayed and the message is clear. If you buy this beer beautiful women such as the one being shown will be attracted to you. The fact of the matter is that advertisements work to make the consumer believe that if they buy the product they will instantly have the lifestyle that is being shown along with the product. And that lifestyle more often that not involves beautiful people in a glamorous and/or relaxing setting. It is one of the main reasons why advertisements such as billboards and ads in magazines work so well. They cater to the consumer who is constantly searching for the one thing that will make their life that much easier and enjoyable.

“This meant a predictable and inevitably bland hamburger, but also a sandwich that was no better or worse than anyone else’s – further evidence of consumers’ democracy as well as their manipulation by retailers.” (pg. 23)

This quote displays the meaning of the sociological term “rationalization”, a consequence of capitalism. Rationalization rids society of emotion, replacing it with efficiency and control. The American consumer culture depletes the quality and integrity of our products in its drive towards profit.
I find it ironic that a system like capitalism, aiming for freedom and individuality, could yet lead to such standardization and uniformity of its products. In the system, corporations will do anything to make profit, no matter the consequences. For example, McDonald’s has created a health disaster spreading rampant throughout the U.S. Obesity has become a major issue across America. McDonald’s produces food as cheaply as possible, hurting the environment and its consumers. The corporation poses serious health threats to its consumers, yet they do little to improve upon the quality, because they will lose money in doing so. This whole idea is seen in many other big corporations across the U.S. as well.

"Much advertising was one-sided, selling goods with sophisticated and manipulative appeals. But ads also gave meaning to consumption, showing how products could be used to shape personal identity."

I chose this quote because i knew that advertisers strived to sell their products as best them could. However i did not realize the many ways they try to manipulate the consumers into buying their products. Salesmen twist and turn their advertisements to make people believe that if they do not buy the product, then it would hurt them on a personal level. Once the product was widely distributed, you were expected to own it, just like it is nowadays. I was amazed at how may new products and inventions have entered our world in such a short amount of time. We have evolved into a much more technologically involved nation, creating new products to minimize the amount of work we have to do as an individual. These new inventions have most definitely helped us along the way with the canned goods keeping our foods lasting along while, to the cars which helped us travel through long distances. We have become so accustomed to having all of these goods help us out that we have started taking them for granted. However, reading this passage has opened my eyes to the lifestyle that existed before they came about.

"Prosperity meant a shift from purely utilitarian to symbolic goods. Fashionable furnishings, packaged products, domestic appliances, and cars expressed new versions of self and community, new understandings of past and future. Through their packaging, display, and advertising, consumer goods came to embody a distinct and eventually dominant alternative to political and even religious visions of America."

The switch from the past era to the new consumer society was accompanied by a equally important undercurrent in America, the switch from a politically and religiously motivated democracy to one truly driven by the people through consumption. I think this argument is very important to the article over all because it sums up the theme of the piece.

"In 1916, Piggly Wiggly opened the first self-service grocery store, relying on packaging to sell from open shelves and thus eliminating the need for a clerk to fetch foodstuffs from behind a counter. The new system depersonalized and speeded up the buying experience" ( pg 23)

While this quotation is not one that would particularly jump out at you, it did spark a long conversation with my roommate about consumerism and it was very interesting. The conversation started with me telling her, wow I did not realize that before Safeway and Alberstons just small stores existed where there was someone who handed you the food you wanted. We started by saying how interesting we found that, and back then that was possible because people didn't need as much. But as consumerism grew aided by advertisements and new selling ways, the demand for more and more grew into what are now these huge grocery stores full of excess food that people don't actually really need. This led us into talking about how much stuff people want but don't actually need. We could live without fruit loops you know, but yet people want them and the box is awesome with the toucan on the outside so you just have to have those fruit loops. The idea of depersonalizing and speeding things up were also interesting to us because on the whole, we are always looking for ways to do things faster or more efficiently but it does come at a price sometimes. This quotation sparked an interesting talk and had us thinking about the times before there was mass production of most items which he talks about in the article.

"Both advertisers and their critics agreed that consumers (especially women) were passive and that the function of ads was to manipulate rather than to inform...The insecure reader learned what happened to the businessman or housewife who did not use mouthwash or disinfectant."

I picked this quote because it shows advertising for what it truly is. And also that it hasn't changed much in over a century. Advertisers appeal to our weaknesses: our insecurities, our desire to fit in, wanting to make our lives easier. I've noticed that television ads these days aren't very informative and instead advertise a product based on what they know people want to hear: how it will fit into their lives. And advertisers usually succeed in making the consumer feel like they need to have their product in order to make their life better.

“It [the car] was the ‘rich man’s toy,’ used for show by the likes of William Vanderbilt, who kept a 100-car garage on Long Island.”

This quote makes me think about both society’s development over the past century and also how the 21st century parallels to the 20th century. Today, owning a car is much more common whether a family is well off or impoverished. It is now not simply if a family owns a car. Automobile culture has expanded and transformed to a more extensive field of questions – what model and year is the car? Is it a convertible? Is it a coupe? How many other cars does the family own? Cars have definitely become a symbol of social status. A person buys a Lamborghini well aware of the attention that comes with the car. The yellow speed-racing convertible becomes a toy almost – extending its practical use of getting from one location to the next to a luxurious showcase. Automobiles have developed personalities that the drivers would hope to be associated with. For example, a Jeep wrangler can be seen as a down to earth nature lover; The BMW belongs to the classy wealthy couple; The eight seat Toyota belongs to the soccer mom. Just like all technology, new and advanced cars have become too convenient –automatic windows, convertible at the press of a button, vocal navigation, trunks that close using the keys, voice commands, cameras at the rear of the vehicle, and keyless abilities. It seems almost as if the owner is not paying for the car to drive around anymore, but buys a car thinking about what image the car gives and what the car can do for them. “How can this car make my life easier and more convenient?” is often a thought at the dealership. People are not being judges solely on their appearances, but people feel as though they can make accurate assumptions based on a car and this is a very powerful truth that often creates false judgments.

“Still, a fundamental change had occurred since the days of court aristocracies and sumptuary laws: in 1900, almost any labor, service, or property, no matter how low in status, could be converted into money to purchase the latest dress or flashy suit. Social status and birth were no longer relevant in this ultimate democracy of spending.”
As I read through the rest of the article, I kept thinking back to this quote about how the consumerism which emerged in the early 1900s provided citizens, as well as immigrants, with the opportunity of climbing up the social ladder. I thought of consumerism as a way of people enjoying their leisure time and businesses increasing profits, but I hadn’t considered the expressive values that these materialistic possessions held. Decades before, one’s economic status could have been determined by the cleanliness of his shirt or the wear of his shoes, for example. More than just the physical object itself was up for sale with consumerism, seeing as it created an image of the average American. This average American ate at White Castle, bought Betty Crocker products, went to the movies, drove a Lincoln and dressed a certain way. Therefore, to an immigrant who arrived to the United States empty-handed, a new fashionable coat symbolized fitting in like the average American, also providing a sense of achievement. With this realization, I can confidently say that without consumerism, the “American Dream” would not be any easier to attain.

"If consumer culture leveled social differences and gave individuals the freedom to define themselves, it also reflected an American society divided by class and burdened by its 'hidden injuries.' Shopping sometimes was a defensive reaction to insults from the class above or an offensive response to the intrusion of the classes below."

I chose this quote because it highlighted the role of the new consumer society in emphasizing the distinction between social classes. While the accumulation of products was a democractic practice available to all Americans, the actual products being purchased inevitably became a way to symbolize one's financial standing in society. This is essentially the author's main point in explaining the downfalls to a consumer culture. Consumerism definitely offered an opportunity for Americans to purchase any good they desired regardless of race, gender, or class, however the most expensive items were still out of reach to most people and therefore showed high status to those who could attain them. The consumption of goods had become one of the only ways to distinguish a middle class man from his superior in the workplace, and many American's thrived on this.

“In turn, new spending opportunities helped Americans adapt to profound social change. Nineteenth-century Americans had tried to define themselves through possession of land, job skills, and businesses, but those markers of self-worth were in rapid decline by 1900.”

Just as in the early 1900’s, in today’s society, social status is still determined by the value of ones possessions. The difference, then, is the possessions people are judged by today are much different than those of yesteryears. Today, a persons success is determined solely on how wealthy they are. No longer are people judged on their abilities and qualities they possess. Material possessions such as cars, jewelry, houses, and clothes are how we determine success. If someone is wearing a Rolex, carrying a Louis Vuitton purse on their lap, all while driving a Range Rover into the Hollywood Hills society will deem them as a very successful person. I believe this is not an accurate gauge of success, and instead ones gives off a false sense of self worth. All too often we see people living outside of their means in hopes of convincing society that they are worth more than they make. I believe that a person’s worth should be determined by the kind of person they are and how they live their life. Money isn’t everything and society should not judge people solely on their net worth.

“If consumer culture leveled social differences and gave individuals the freedom to define themselves, it also reflected an American society divided by class and burdened by its “hidden injuries.”

This quotation describes the idea of establishing identity and societal status through consumer goods. Identity is determined by where you sit in society, how you present yourself, and where you come from. If someone has money to buy and sell consumer goods, then they can establish themselves in society through labels and transition into a better lifestyle. The rich are more involved with consumer culture, and the poor try to become involved through work. Its evident that the more goods you have the ability to buy, the wealthier you are. Consumer culture has allowed the economy to develop and be controlled by the idea of “supply and demand.” Although it has greatly divided and redefined the classes, and have given people greater responsibilities to have an impact in society.

"Consumption became a means of waging class war- but at a personal level and with a minimum of overt violence. Even "aggressive' social gestures (as many understood private luxury care when they first appeared about 1900) could be disguised by the claim that the individual was merely asserting personal freedom."

I selected this quote from the article because it shows how the rise of consumerism in our capitalist society, paved the road to economic and social inequalities. The rise of consumption in the U.S. created new binaries among American society based on wealth, and thus social standing. These "consumables" have sadly forever defined the future of out American culture. We have grown into a culture defined by our materialistic possessions, thus there has been an immense increase in social tensions.

"Consumer goods repeatedly affirmed the seemingly contradictory"

This quote stood out to me because it was a thought that had crossed my mind as i read. As mentioned, cleaning and kitchen appliances claimed to free women, yet at the same time they trapped them with implied household duties. Appliances supposedly replaced the need for human maids, but meant the women of the household should do the work themselves. While advertisements were the most obvious contradictions. The issue of consumer society itself seems to be a contradiction. Consumerism seems to have leveled the differences among social classes by making symbols of affluence more accessible to all, yet it somehow still reflected a society divided by class. Perhaps because before, class divisions were more based on birth and family, now class divisions were contingent on money and the ability to possess valued consumer goods.

“[Symbolic goods] aided immigrants, the young, the newly urbanized, or the simply insecure to avoid the humiliation of being nobodies and the anxiety of facing a world of strangers”

I chose this quote because I believe it still stands true today. People have stopped buying what they need and started buying what they want. They feel confident when wearing the latest fashions or knowing they have new products waiting for them at home. We subconsciously associate “things” with power and therefore maintain a materialistic confidence, when what we really should feel good about is our work ethic and our loves. Before the 20th Century, the market was based on utilitarian goods rather than the 20th century trend of overzealous consumer spending. This time was a turning point in American consumerism. The market went through a structural change, which attracted immigrants and lower class who searched to embrace the warmth of the idealism of the American Dream. People made purchases in order to fulfill a void caused by the desire to live up to the American Dream. Today we still struggle to meet those ideals until one day we realize they do not exist.

“The point is not that Americans had more goods and were happy with a system that delivered them; rather, the key point is that through goods and services, Americans found a way to understand themselves, others, the past, and the future… For good or ill, the consumerist system created meaning for Americans far more effectively that politics and civil society.”

I had never envisioned such an importance that consumerism had in the success of this nation. In the grand scheme of things I always attributed its success to the politics of our society; however our society would be non-existent if it weren’t for the ventures of capitalism in this nation. Our complete culture is immersed in pass time of buying and selling. Consuming is what we breathe. It’s quite disturbing to think of the magnitude of which material things matter to the average American. This article reminds me of the previous one we read as it also illustrates man’s need to attain a higher status, a status attained by mass consumption. I find it interesting that the author feels this system allows for us to understand ourselves and others. Quite possibly this is true on a superficial level, however, I do not agree that this leads to a complex understanding of anything except for our ridiculous and primitive instincts. Most things we buy appear to have some subconscious desire attached to them, and it appears that we can’t ever really shake those underlying desires.

"The 'real work' of American collegians in the 1920s was responding positively to fads in dress, speech, music, and dance. While such a recreational culture placed a premium on superficiality, it also taught the useful skills of adjusting rapidly to change and of conforming to group norms."

I found this quote to be very interesting as this is the way it is today. People spend so much of their time trying to keep up with the latest trends and fads that it is a full time job in itself. We are brought up as kids to learn and adapt to settings around us but just a century ago kids were not getting the latest iphone, or chatting online with their friends, they were working.

"The personal and social use of goods was complex and often quite expressive and participator. In the generation after 1900, consumption had became a substitute for conversation in a society where rituals of communication were already weak and growing weaker." Page 20

I picked this quote because it eludes to the idea that since the industrial revolution and consumerism took hold, people have become so ingrained and used to having products that our historical roots are now ignored. With each generation it seems like the idea of having a conversation for entertainment is seemingly rare. I know that nowadays when me and my friends are chatting, we almost always have music playing in the back round because we are accustomed to constant multiple stimulus. Kids born today will be born into a world of smart phones, and will be used to having electronic communication from an extremely early age, furthering them from a history where face to face interaction was prime.

“While ads were controlling and copy writers self-consciously set themselves above their audience, these messages were more than cynical appeals to status consciousness or insecurity. They were scripts of social dramas that helped people to cope with modern life by giving goods meaning and making them into props that said who consumers were or aspired to be. As historian Roland Marchand notes, advertising was “integrative propaganda” that portrayed the American dream and its frustrations. Attached to goods, this propaganda gave Americans a language for conversing with each other and themselves” (Cross 24)

I picked this quote because it brings up a lot in a few short sentences. Some of which I’d never thought about, more of which I simply felt I could understand and expand on. But do I agree with his points? For the most part (at least in this excerpt) I agree, however the relevance of certain points diminishes when placed in our current context, which only means that extrapolation to our modern era does not hold, not that I disagree with him, for it very well could have been in the early twentieth century. This quote however is simply a summation of how advertisements affect us on a personal level, and is not entirely important it serves only as a summary of what he has been trying to say the entire time through example and anecdote. I never thought his points unclear, or difficult to understand, and though I agreed for the most part, I can see how these points can be debated. Anyway this piece really got me thinking so I really went in depth with this quotes meaning, here it goes…
I’d like to begin with the generalization in the first two sentences, however it would be best to establish the context in which I will be placing Cross’s analysis (though it is originally set in the early twentieth century) in terms of our current world. The reason I believe this can be done is because the principles of advertisement remain constant from their century to ours. Though our advertising market is larger and more specialized, and is not completely cohesive with this current era, the principles he discusses in this quote, status, social drama, propaganda, language, all are completely relevant to our modern mindset.
Though it is true that, in many cases, advertisements sell their products by having us see them as mandatory for the normal standard of living, I believe advertisements power is (currently) in giving goods meaning. It seems for the most part in the early twentieth century that there was a homogeneous aspiration, a kind of “unified consumer-American dream,” as this generalized small consumer society had only a select few things to buy from, only a set few goods from which to choose and therefore, what one person aspired to own, was largely the same as what another person aspired to own. Then the question was whether you had it or not, whether you can be called into a different social status that based on goods that were largely the same from person to person. Now the issue isn’t whether you have and iPod, but what color iPod you have, whether you went with one of the less popular brands that have a certain rogue appeal, whether you shop at Urban Outfitters or Hot Topic. The difference now is that our consumer market is so immense that we have these options that we’ve never had before. Every niche in the entire economy has been filled ten, twenty, fifty times over by companies producing goods of relatively equal value. Though whether you have certain items, deemed important to the normal standard of living, will still place you in a “class,” these classes no longer constitute success in American as they once did; individuality constitutes success in this massive consumer society. Which products you’ve chosen, which style you wear, which shoes you sport, have much more relevance in today’s society then whether you had them or not. Creating a “consumer identity” has replaced social class war largely.
I would like to talk a moment about Cross’s use of the phrase “social drama.” This striking phrase elicits attention for a modern mind, for the word drama has become a part of our daily vocabulary. It’s interesting that to replace (or escape) the pressures of our sedentary life style, we turn to human formed drama. We create these small worlds of feasible, biologically irrelevant stressors to define our lives. We create categories for ourselves based on the items we buy, categories that clash with others depending on what we are trying to aspire to. The relationship between consumers and goods are so well defined, and so important to our definition of self, that it’s a threat to our personal selves should those goods be undermined by another person, with different consumer aspirations. These social clashes have no relevant say in our biological health, however it has everything to do with our modern-self. We rely on this sense of competition and individuality to fill, what I believe is a great void left by a lack of biological competition. These social dramas are an all-important clash of ideals, based on the fact that goods are no longer utilitarian, but are instead ideological.
Now I would like to move on to the last two sentences of Cross’s statement, which is split into two interrelated topics: propaganda and the American Dream, propaganda as a language. First we must define propaganda before we can understand how they relate to the American dream and our means of communication. Propaganda exists as a form of persuasion, a means of communicating, often to an entire population, in order to sway them toward an attitude or purpose. But how does it relate to the American Dream? The answer is that it defines it. Since the induction of advertisement and the consumer economy this “integrative propaganda” has defined our understanding of the American Dream, by telling us what we want. We have been swayed into the understanding that you are what you own, and whether it’s a fight for social class, or individualism, that ownership defines our wants and needs. But what exactly is the American Dream? This term is thrown around so often, although it is the vaguest term I can think of. Though the definition of the American Dream is debatable, and many say it can only be individually defined, I will define it as the quest for a higher standard of living, and when advertisements (which are a form of propaganda) seek to tell you what products are associated with higher living standards, by relation, advertisements define the American Dream. For better or for worse, in a largely consumer society, our aspirations are largely defined by what we seek to consume. But how do advertisements and consumerism give us a language with which to communicate? By standardization. They standardize and mass-produce the same goods, the same buildings, the same packaging, because you know what you’re going to get when you buy one. But another aspect of that standardization is that it gives a certain, universal vernacular independent of culture, no wait, actually a part of a separate consumer culture that all can be a part of. This all-inclusive consumer culture allows everyone to share a common vocabulary, a common idea, simply by seeing an advertisement. People who normally had nothing in common could see people buying goods, advertised with the same value system and say, I am a part of that, and this other person is too. It does to some extent bring us together under a blanket. We associate with Coke, we associate with the regal forefather on the Quaker Oats packaging, we buy into what they stand for, and by doing so, we join a group who does the same.
All in all, I believe what he is saying is that consumerism and advertising defines us and our relationships in a profound way.

sorry, lots of mistakes, i was trying to write as fast as ideas came to me

“Symbolic goods also helped ordinary shy people avoid self-disclosure. They aided immigrants, the young, the newly urbanized, or the simply insecure to avoid the humiliation of being nobodies and the anxiety of facing a world of strangers (pg 18).”
This quote stood out the most to me because it is true. For most of us, we buy unnecessary items to be part of a culture or more specific to be part of a group. As an immigrant, I know it is hard to assimilate into the American culture without a certain look. I dressed differently when I first came to America in grades school and I got picked the native kids. I think the corporations did an excellent job in their advertising campaign always focusing on consumers insecurities, therefore creating a longing for certain items. Most of the stuffs we buy today are stuffs we don’t need, we don’t need fifty pairs of shoes, and we bought it to show off to ours peers.

"They looked up to the higher-paid skilled workers and hoped to gain access to status-enhancing goods" (19)

This quote seemed to best illustrate the idea of status achieved through the acquisition of material goods - an idea that was maintained throughout the piece. Just like in the documentary we watched in class, the 19th and 20th centuries were pivotal for American producers who changed their tactical strategies of how to market their products to an entire society. No longer were American seeking out products that served specific functions they needed fulfilled; now Americans were seeking out products merely as status symbols. That persistent theme made me think about how certain newer products like smart-phones and blackberries are marketed in such a way as to make the consumer want to own one solely for the purpose of making others jealous - a vicious cycle where the only beneficiary is the producer.

“This was often a painful, ambiguous transition. Many older immigrants, upon settling in American cities, were anguished by the loss of culture, religious faith, family ties, and friendships. Boston Brahmins say urban immigrants as uncivilized, and Western populists viewed them as untested by the character-building rigors of the frontier. The foreign-born, however, often tried to preserve ethnic and religious traditions against the threat or temptation of American materialism. Immigrant parents sometimes were intimidated by their children's education and demanded their offsprings' pay packets for family needs. In response, the second generation often criticized parents for their ignorance of good English and flaunted their Americanness with new clothes and entertainments.” Page 26

I chose this quote from the chapter “Generations, Gender, and Goods” because it shows a good representation of how the generations of the early American consumer society had changed from having a foreign identity to having a common identity as an American during the early 1990's. This shows how the new generations are making up the melting pot which America is becoming. The children of the immigrants now feel like they could become something with their lives, naming America the land of opportunity. This passage stood out for me because it made the connection between the consumer society and the transition of foreigners to Americans. The other part of the quote which stood out to me was the fact that some parents were intimidated by their childrens education. Since the quality of education is significantly better than a preceding generation this had allowed for the American consumer society to achieve their advances in technology and production and receive the luxuries they desire.

I surreptitiously misquoted the first time.
"They looked up to the higher-paid skilled workers and hoped to gain access to status-enhancing goods. A strategy of substituting consumer aspirations for producer dreams extended beyond the ranks of the native Caucasian blue-collar worker." (19)

“The growth of the consumer society coincided with the decline of self-sufficiency, neighborliness, and family interactions. It replaced traditional social roles and identities with those purchased in the market.”
I picked this quotation because I agree that there has been a rapid declining in “self-sufficiency, neighborliness, and family interactions” because of the rapid growth in consumer society. People have been filling the social roles that advertising has been creating for them and this has taken away from the social roles that they would normally fill. With so many cheap goods available people have also become less self-sufficient and more dependent on the goods. This quote made me realize this, when I hadn’t thought of it before. I, along with many others, am trapped in a role created by the advertising that surrounds me. From the name brand shoes on my feet, to the cell phone in my designer purse, my identity is created by the consumer society in which I live. It has taken away from traditional social roles in which my parents and elders all lived by.

"Much advertising was one-sided, selling goods with sophisticated and manipulative appeals. But ads also gave meaning to consumption, showing how products could be used to shape personal identity and social relationships" (Cross, p.23).

Many people were being easily swayed to purchase a plethora of products that would increase their social status and keep them at par with the upper class. In addition, many companies understood that many people were self-concious about they're social status and hygiene and used that to promote their products. Ads would state that by using their products, they could maintain their social status or maybe even go up in social status. In addition, it allowed people to create new relationships with people buying and using similar products. Ad companies found a way to appeal to a majority of people and have been using that ever since.

"Make-up allowed the "new women" to assume innovative, diverse, and multiple images: a young mother by day could transform herself into a belle of the ball by night." (28)

I chose this quote because it continues to strengthen the idea of escapism during this period. Products were sold for the need of the public to escape reality and to become glamorous, to imitate the celebrities of the time. Make-up and clothing appealed to women because it was a way they could improve themselves from who they really were on a daily basis, and a way to allegedly express themselves and their "unique" identity. But, in reality, they were only prisoners of advertisement, perfect models of the new century.

"Name brands did more than create dominant companies. They also served also to democratize American life at a time when social differences were extreme" (Cross, 22).

This quote was interesting because I never really thought of how goods played into democracy, or rather how it replaced political democracy with the democracy of goods. While I do not like the idea that consumer culture has replaced political involvement and created apathy in politics and voting, it is interesting that it may have prevented violent class clashes though these tensions are not really resolved, just masked and layered.

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This page contains a single entry by Nick Tingle published on March 23, 2010 4:14 PM.

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