Capitalism And Urbanization In America

Clothing has its own meaning in communication. We are being judged by our clothing every time we come in contact with someone. Human communication is accomplished by two ways, one third by words and the rest by nonverbal communication (Hickson, 1989). Clothes serve to be protection, social identification, sexual attraction, and many other services. Someone’s clothing can be different compared to others. Their clothing is based on their age, gender, occupation, personality, and values. According to William Thourlby, there are ten decisions that people around someone make based on their clothing along (Hickson, 1989). The ten decisions are:

In conclusion, the way people dress is indeed important. It has been important from the beginning of the ancient times until today. As much as we would like to believe that Hans Christian Andersen’s interpretation of “dress is not what is important,” there is absolutely no way that this is possible for us. We are shallow as a whole. Much like the Emperor was in The Emperor’s New Clothes. Works Cited

Between the periods of the Civil War and the Great War, economy and culture development led to the urbanization and industrialization in America. The most remarkable development of American history was the immigration of foreigners from outside countries to the United States, causing quick growth in urban populations and a transformation of American union. In the early 19th century, thirteen million immigrants came from the United States, most from Italy and Russia, and the Progressive Era immigration forming the process of migration set by the expansion and the industrial revolution. Immigrants coming to the United States came for the American dream of freedom, and the desire to escape poverty and seek for jobs. The urbanization and growth

The progressive era was a time period in America after reconstruction that took place from 1900 to 1920. The progressive era focused mainly on social and political reform, trying to fix America's economy by working towards equal conditions for individuals, stopping political corruption and increasing government intervention on social and economic issues. Progressivists were social activists and political reformers working to improve conditions and the treatment of the American people. The progressive era was successful in the fight to reform the United States by improving industrialization, urbanization cities, and reforming America's social and gender classes.

Clothing protects, decorates, describes and gives the first impression of a person. It acts as an external symbol of

Along with this, another major milestone was accomplished, the first transcontinental railroad was established. The development of the transcontinental railroad would bring huge economical growth to the U.S, making it the highway of nations (Henretta, pg. 476). This railroad would prove to be huge, as it would allow for easy transportation of resources, personnel and other goods cross country. San Francisco, which at this point in time was the only major city on the West coast, would benefit huge from the transcontinental railroad. Handling $7.4 million in imports in the 1860’s they would see an increase to $49 million by 1890 (Henretta, pg. 476.) Although the transcontinental railroad helped bring huge economical growth, railroad companies also faced a problem. In 1877 The Great Railroad strike took place, crippling and bringing rail travel to a halt when railroad workers walked off the job, causing $40 million in damage and killing over fifty people (Henretta, pg. 529). During this time period the U.S also looked towards incorporating the West, through mining, railroad construction, and the hunting of bison. Prospering at first, ranchers and farmers of the Western pains would soon face devastating blizzards and drought, making the Central and Northeastern parts of the U.S the agricultural stronghold for America (Henretta, pg.

     San Francisco was a small town of a few hundred people in 1840, but by 1850 it was a huge city whose economy was injected with gold money. This rapid growth and development was brought on by an accidental discovery by James Marshall.

During the 19th century cities in America started growing at a very rapid rate. Each major city attracted citizens because they offered jobs and more opportunities for people to make a living. In the west, these cities were fueled by the gold rush, and in the south they were driven by tobacco and iron production. The growth in the west and the south followed a period of rapid growth in American cities in the north. There were two main reasons for this growth, industrialization and mechanization.

Fashion reflects the attitudes of a society more than any other art form. Like art, fashion is a material record of the ideals that swayed the nations at the time of their creation. Through examining the styles, and tastes of a particular era, we can realize where the interests and priorities of a time lie. As Frank Parsons wrote in his 1920 study, The Psychology of Dress, "There is surly no better field in which to trace the devious paths of human thought than in that of clothes, where man has ever given free play to self expression, in a way which, thought not always a credit to his intelligence, is yet quite true to his innermost self, whether he will acknowledge it or

“BEFOR I CAN TALK TO YOU, PEOPLE SHOW THEIR SEX, AGE, CALSS, POSITION, WITH WHAT THEY ARE WEARING. ALL THIS IS REGISTERED UNCONCIOSLY“ Those words said by Alison Lurie in the language of clothes (1992), reflect perfectly the main point of my research. The society we are now living is an extremely conscious society regarding body image and the way we are presented to the exterior. We found an obsessive trend on wanting to look like celebrities by having certain items or looks and in relation to that a fear of not being percepted the tight way. This is where we found relation to how clothes are part of a conversation we haven 't started and are a form of expression. As there will be explained further on, we use clothes as a sign of our identity,as a way of representing ourselves and stand out from the crowd and also influence on how we appear in front of others making them (clothes) a huge part of our non verbal communication. This essay will discuss the ideas behind self -expression and the role of clothes has changed in that mater thought time.

We live in a world controlled by an invisible yet very present force that shapes the way we live our daily lives. With industry as its host and technology as the blood being pumped into its heart, it is a force powerful enough to bend politics to fit its needs. Capitalism; a method of industry where production and distribution are privately or corporately owned, its operation grows through profits, exploitation of labor, and extinguishing competition. During the Industrial Revolution technology was on the global stage. Factories and machines are built in existing cities producing and distributing mass goods on a global scale. Over time this fast production of goods would replace the old agricultural economy to a modern urban economy. Today the revolution is praised for creating a global trade market while surging us into a world of technology.

What do people do with the objects and services that they consume? What symbolic meanings are contained in consumption? How is consumption connected to our deepest emotions, desires and fantasies? And what are the consequences of the way we consumer” (Szeman and O’Brien 126). These phrases of questions relate to the idea that culture is non-static and shared.

The variety of styles worn across various cultures reveals something about the social codes. The textual codes can be seen in how clothing is advertised, and what this means across the various cultures whether it serves to individualize some or unite others plays

During our life we construct many different identities of who we want to portray ourselves as to the rest of society; fashion plays a vital role in generating who we are. With the ideas from Storry and Childs they state that “the way that we dress can either serve to confirm or to subvert various facets of our identities, such as our gender,

Ever since their invention many centuries ago, clothes have been used as a way of communicating. The message communicated relies on a number of factors including the social background of both the communicator and the receiver, and the context in which the message is communicated. Although at times the exact message or symbolism one is trying to portray may not be clear, it is evident that clothing has long been embraced as one of the best ways to project one’s desired personal image to those around them.