Essay 1 1 Explain how the places of consumption affected the meanings and uses of consumerism Think here of general stores department stores chain stores etc 19th century department stores removed production from consumption before department stores consumers saw artisans making their furniture and clothes out of raw materials but in the 1890s the relationship shifts to one between the object and the consumer In urban areas specialty stores dressmakers carpenters start going out of business Department stores don t accept bartering instead they offer attractive bargains and novelty which makes it so that there is even less of a relationship between consumers and people selling the items People were interested in enjoying the experience of shopping at these places these stores encourage customers to linger and spend their money o Department stores had fancy restaurants waiting areas powder rooms lavish window displays tea rooms post offices The rise of chain stores contributes to the standardization of goods you can buy the exact same coat at the Macy s in New York that you can in Chicago This makes assembling a consumer identity kit more accessible to everyone Initially buying based on the reputation of the producer shifted to buying based on the reputation of the company brand No longer has a personal relationship between the purchaser and the maker 2 Between 1900 and 2000 can the consumer marketplace in America be described as democratic Access of different races classes gender to the market not actual politics Yes and no Gave access to people to acquire a large variety of goods The Consumer s League was allowed to happen gave insight to consumers who could then support companies treating their employees fairly Gap between the rich and poor and differences in race unfortunately reduced access Blacks couldn t shop at white owned businesses etc Women did the majority of the shopping and purchased what was needed but to make a good image One argument is that leisure culture which developed in the post Victorian era was more democratic than other parts of society i e women and minorities can see the same movies visit the same amusement parks and listen to the same music as everyone else Also take a look at how advertisements influenced spending and the specific audience they did and didnt appeal to 3 How have race and gender shaped the experiences and meanings of consumer history department stores made goods more accessible to people of different races and gender Victorians thought women should be sexually chaste modest and kept out of the public sphere Modern women are working and being educated outside the home pressing for political rights and doing manly activities like bike riding like the Gibson girl o People were worried threatened about the modern woman riding a bike They were concerned about how the bike gave women mobility and independence Also women couldn t ride bikes in huge skirts so they re wearing shorter skirts and that s scandalous because they re showing their ankles Victorians thought men should be studious self restrained and value respectability The modern man values vigor virility athletics and aggressive masculinity 4 In what ways has consumerism played a role in the development of American foreign policy Kitchen Debate governments debating about consumerism as toll of democracy freedom Supporting globalization Crappy working conditions for foreign workers WTO Battle in Seattle Companies like Walmart setting wage prices and labor laws manufacturing cost of companies on a global scale telling this to other countries where work is being done Buy American campaigns during both American Revolutions and period of economic trouble in 1970s Capitalism democrac Kitchen Debate Cold War Representing ourselves how we choose to represent ourselves on What we consider important How we deal with the rest of the world during WWII and the Cold Imperialism a global scale War To keep prices low they outsource for cheaper labor Buy American campaigns during the Revolution MAKING A STATEMENT ABOUT OUR BELIEFS 5 Explain how changes in advertising and marketing have shaped American consumer culture between 1800 and 2000 Early advertisements focused on descriptions rather than emotional appeal described what was available and what it provided advertisements use psychological and emotional appeal to attract consumers development of brand names slogans and logos help companies generate a familiar identity and connection to the consumer example scare tactics made the consumer feel bad or worried if they did not purchase the item sell feeling instead of product using celebrity endorsement help promotion of acquiring goods if you want to be beautiful smart worthy insert adjective here you have to buy this product teenagers 6 Assess the uses of consumerism as a political tool government uses consumerism to promote advocacy for soldiers overseas minorities use zoot suits to combat their lack of economic power white americans associate communism with the zoot suits and patriotism to sailors and soldiers lack of consumption as consumer tool segregation boycotts and sit ins Buy American campaigns National Consumers League White Label Campaign stamp of approval of the league in order to educate consumers that the product that had the white label was produced under fair and safe working conditions 7 How have Americans used consumerism to shape particular identities zoot suits conspicuous consumption Yuppies class distinctions 2nd generation Puritans and quakers wanted to shed their old identities Purchased fancy cloths and materials to make clothes clocks utensils or anything that shows refinement Immigrants using consumption as a part of their american dream one that is achievable through consuming material goods 8 How did consumerism impact the meaning of democracy and freedom the development of department stores and catalogs gave the consumer free will and variety The American citizens first importance to his country is no longer as a citizen but as a consumer 9 Using Susan Strasser s book Waste and Want explain why and how Americans have interacted with garbage in different ways over the 19th and 20th centuries Reuse not really waste in the 19th century Not a lot of surplus less packaging using rags Market Revolution and Industrialization More goods More advertising Peddlers collect rags to sell them to factories that made paper What do people do with this garbage Put them in dumps and