Summary: The Culture Of American Consumption

The economy is a very fragile thing; however it can have an enormous impact on people. Americans especially are affected because they are so greedy, they always want more. Because Americans are very materialistic, they can become overly arrogant and possessive since they are used to getting their way, on account of having money.

1. How can an understanding of the complexities of culture help us make sense of the day-to-day world which we live? Give an example from your life to illustrate your answer.

In American culture, we typically center our food choices around american options such as burgers, fries, chicken fried steaks, and chicken tenders. However, I decided to seek out a food from a culture that differs than my American background. I sought out a restaurant that served and Indian cuisine and one that I wouldn’t usually try. I decided Indian for the reason that I love spice in food and the spice that the Indian culture uses in their food should really compliment the food. The restaurant that I found was called Taco Naan, which combines cultures and serves food that cater to Mexican and Indian cultures.

The 1920s was a decade filled with prosperity, chaos, and excitement. During the 1920s, many ground breaking inventions were introduced, such as the Model T Ford, the radio, and the television. The discoveries and cultural developments of the 1920s would go on to shape America for decades to come. The 1920s was arguably one of the most important decades in American history, in regards to the impact it had on American culture and way of life. Such an important decade should have a nickname, thus the 1920s were called the “Roaring 20s.” The decade of the 1920s is referred to as “roaring” because it was a time of dramatic social change, as demonstrated by the birth of a consumer society, the rise of a party culture, and the abandonment of long standing morals.

The 1950s is described as the “‘golden age’ of capitalism,” where a comfortable standard of living became accessible to many new, middle-class Americans (991). According to Foner, “the official poverty rate, 30 percent of all families in 1950, had declined to 22 percent a decade later”(991). The poverty rate declined as more Americans entered white-collared jobs with increased wages. Essentially, the “American standard of living” during the 1950s was characterized by the ability of citizens to participate in the mass consumerist society; this was only possible through an increase in income. Jack Straus, the chairman of the board of Macy’s stated “‘The consumer is the key to our economy...The luxuries of today are the necessities of tomorrow’”(Foner 994). The American economy was based off of consumers; “In a consumer culture, the measure of freedom

I think Clapp’s assessment of American consumer culture are accurate and insightful. An examination of history and our modern cultural trends reveals the validity of Clapp’s assessment. For example, in the nineteenth century pictographic and flashy advertising taught the consumerism lifestyle to Americans and transformed America into a society of consumerism. “Consumers, in short, were made, not born” (Clapp, 1996, p. 366). From the 1800s to the present day advertisers continue to actively and aggressively sell a lifestyle with their product. [Modern consumerism is] a fun-house world of ever-proliferating wants and exquisitely unsatisfied desire, consumption entails most profoundly the cultivation of pleasure, the pursuit of novelty, and the

Everybody loves meat. From steak to pork chops, it’s all good, just not good for you. In the past few decades, as our population has increased exponentially, so has our demand for food. Because of this, we have changed in the way we get our food. The way that the food is produced has changed and because of this the health risks increased and the environment is also affected. People need to know that there are consequences.

The consumerism that developed in America during the early twentieth Century could be described as a big appetite for consumer goods. The production for goods came about when industrial production of Europe had been destroyed by the war, which allowed American goods to become the dominant product available in Europe(Schultz,2014). New ways of production and payment to the American worker also came into play. Most businesses recognized that if they paid their workers a reasonable salary, then they could afford to buy products, including their own. Some companies realized that when they have happy workers, they tend to more productive at work. With these changes, the industry started to change from a railroad and steel industry to being driven

Whenever we eat that mouthwatering burger, we usually take time and savor every bite we get out of the juicy meat, fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. During this moment, it never actually occur to us and wonder where all these items came from, all we cared about was how tasty the meal was and how affordable we got it for. This is what Charles Reich described in his excerpt, how American culture has much “shabbiness and tawdriness” concerning our consciousness. People these days are not well informed regarding the issue of how well are our products made. We don’t really know much about whether or not it was made in a humane manner. All we usually care for is the price of an item and its taste. Nevertheless, the book by Peter Singer and Jim

Some people argue that it is acceptable for people in the United States to consume at high levels because their consumerism keeps the world economy going. What are the weaknesses in this idea? Although America’s consumerism may seem to help the economy of less fortunate countries, this rampant depletion has become financially and ecologically unsustainable. Globally, 86% of consumption expenditures comes from the 20% of the world’s people in first world countries, while the poorest 20% account for only a meager 14%. It seems that consumption has become a function of our culture. Only by generating and selling goods does capitalism currently work; and the more produced and purchased the more we have progress and prosperity.

As a country, Americans love to shop. Whether in malls, grocery stores, on the Internet, or elsewhere, the culture of buying is deeply ingrained in American culture. Fueled largely by advertising and the current credit system, America’s consumer culture is depleting our planet’s finite natural resources and polluting our environment. Consumerism has instilled in Americans an artificial, ongoing, and insatiable desire for mass-produced and marketed products, and the money with which to buy them, with little regard to their actual usefulness or necessity. This constant desire to acquire more possessions is poisoning the planet, as it can never be sated and thus results in the never-ending exploitation of the Earth’s natural resources, and

Consumerism is the center of American culture. Americans tend to confuse their wants with their needs. With new advances in technology, as well as the help of advertisers, people are provided with easy access to new products that seem essential to their everyday life, even though they have survived this long without them. People cannot live without food, clothing, and shelter. But realistically, according to people's different lifestyles, more than food, clothing, and shelter are needed. Most people need to work to survive. Unless a job is either in their own home, or within walking distance, a means of transportation is needed. Whether it be a vehicle, money for a taxi-cab, or a token for a ride on the subway, money must be spent

The concept of free-market played an essential role in making American people in the 1960s believe that it is important for them to fight communism through any means possible. Consumerism had reached a point where it had become indispensable and the benefits that it brought along made it difficult and virtually impossible for the community to express interest in economic systems other than capitalism. One of the principal reasons why the Cold War occurred relates to the West's obsession with materialism and with the fact that this precious concept could be destroyed as a result of communist ideas pervading the Western society.

American culture refers to the traditions and practices of the people of the United States. Culture comprises of the nature of buildings, religion, music language and marriage. The population of the United States is more than 320 million people making it the most culturally diverse country in the globe. Books such as Crabgrass Frontier, Manifest Destination and Muscular Christianity are important sources of information about American culture. This paper is a reflection on the methods that these books use in providing information about the evolution of the US culture. The paper examines the relationship between these three sources and ways they challenge or inform an understanding of the American society during the late 19th and early 20th century. There is an analysis of the efficiency of the issues tackled by these books in influencing the contemporary discourse surrounding American culture. The major argument of this paper is that Crabgrass Frontier, Manifest Destination and Muscular Christianity provide reliable information about the evolution of the US culture and they supplement each other through the use of relevant examples.

The Years between the 1950’s and 1960’s was an explosive time in fashion. The 50’s represented an out coming of the new generation. People began to gain their own personal style and appearance, influenced by films and singers (“Vintage Fashion”). Their styles incorporated leather, jeans, corduroy, and the ballet shoes for the girls. Men’s wear began to drastically change. Men would wear a leather jacket, with jeans that narrowed at the bottom, and a simple t-shirt (Peacock 210-211). This was the first time in history that jeans were not just worn by the working class but by all men (“Brief History”). The man’s lust for flesh grew during this time, so women’s skirts began to get shorter and the bikini was invented. Clothes were made to glorify the female body and emphasize every curve. It wasn’t until the Barbie doll was created in the late 50’s that young girls began to have a separate fashion from their mothers. Young girls would wear sweaters with full skirts or pants