American Consumer Society - Assignment Example

HIS 332 FINAL EXAM From the book “American Consumer Society, 1865-2005” 10 points each—10 points extra for Question 11 and 12 How did Frances James typified the consumer of the late 19th century?They were a group of people that saw the popularity of giant retail stores and the creation of more mail-order purchases. Mass consumption in the United States became just part of the new era in the United States. 2. In the TV comedy “Sex and the City” Carrie Bradshaw epitomizes the single women of the New Millennium. The name “Carrie” also was the name of the heroine of the 1900 novel “Sister Carrie”. What does the author suggests are the things that both characters have in common?They have obsessions with clothes, strange approaches to romance and were both women who had a slew of men going in and out of their lives. In “Sister Carrie,” she was used to using men to her advantage and Carrie Bradshaw often did the same. Neither were ever “punished” for getting what they wanted and oblivious to the impact that they made on the men. 3. How did the Gibson Girl and the chorus girl symbolize new attitudes towards woman’s attire and consumer culture between the 1890’s and World War I?The Gibson girl was the common ideology satirical drawing that was representation of female American beauty. She was curvy with a small waist, tall and slender, with rolled up hair that looked Victorian but yet her hair was out of place. The chorus girl was a bit of a burlesque style woman. The new attitude toward women’s attire and consumer culture during this time seemed to be one that allowed a woman to show off more of her figure and to not worry about being so proper. 4. List 5 news ways to shop that became popular in the late Victorian Age?Department stores, window shopping, shopping with comfort and luxurious services that were like home, elegantly clad shop girls helped find what the women wanted, women could take a shopping day because of inexpensive tearooms, public lavatories and writing rooms. The products on display were constantly changing. Women became more pampered as they shopped and it was more of an experience to find what they wanted instead of what they needed. There was an increase in mail order services, door-to-door sales, chain stores and department stores. 5. What does the classic book “Middletown, USA” tell us about life in a typical American town during the early stages of the 20th century?They used their cars to go everywhere, commute to work, go to the story, and take Sunday drives. They listened to “Fleischmann Hour” on the radio, and read the Saturday Evening Post. Having a car impacted when a family would spend time together. People would give up money for food before they’d give up money for gas. The people were all about “automobility.” 6. What impact did the National Magazines have on American consumerism between 1890 and the 1930s?Due to the mass production of consumer products and brand names emerging, modern magazines became a source of marketing. Major companies started pouring money into popular magazines for advertising. This resulted in more people seeing products that they would want. They started pitching products to American women and pegged a Mrs. Consumer. Since women were shopping more, they saw the clothing, appliance, eateries, automobiles and marketed them to domestic women. “Ladies Home Journal” became a Bible in the American household. Women learned about child rearing, clothes, interior decorating and advertisers told readers about brand. Women took the advice of the magazines and would make purchases based on that information. Mr. Advertiser met Mrs. Consumer. 7. What impact did “The Phonograph in the Parlor” and “The Radio” have on American society?Instead of attending performances that were live, they could listen to music and have entertainment right in their homes. This discouraged people from playing instruments because they could hear professional artists. The phonograph in the parlor was the only way great music could be heard in the household until the radio was introduced. The radio allowed people to hear music, news or broadcasted shows as a form of entertainment. They didn’t have to leave the house to be entertained. The radio was the electronic device and it replaced the phonograph as the music box in the house. Radio offered quality performances. Radio also answered the commercial need for a reliable way to communicate with others over long distances. 8. Describe the “Golden Age of Radio.” Why was “Amos ‘n’ Andy” the longest-lived program in broadcast radio history?The Golden Age of Radio ran from about 1929-1957. Most people would hear commercial radio broadcast for entertainment, would listen to news more instantly than reading it in the newspaper the next day and could listen to music. It was popular during a time of World War 2 and people were emerging from the Great Depression. Amo ‘n’ Andy was a pair of two white actors that mimicked Negro dialect. With over 40 million listeners, it was not just a comedy program but people were obsessed with listening to it, both black and white audiences. Even movie theaters would stop their presentation of a show so people could stay tuned. There was a lot of racially charged content. 9. What was the difference in the vision of the Ford Motor Company and General Motors?Ford Motor Company developed automobiles on an assembly line, mass producing vehicles. They were able to produce a vehicle that many middle class Americans could afford with the Model T. General Motors offered not cheaper cars but better quality cars that had a better engine and better performance. GM worked more at creating different body styles with different paint colors to dazzle consumers. They offered more luxurious options. 10. How did the American obsession with “Buy Now, Pay Later” begin?Most people who wanted to buy cars were only allowed to buy with cash only payment policies. This allowed people to purchase an automobile on an installment plan which was made popular by GM. For many middle class Americans who lived payday to payday, it was hard to buy things they wanted. Instead, there was a wave of credit financing in all types of stores because the stores were competing for the consumers. This was not popular until after WWII. Since people were able to be lent money with consumer credit, they were able to finance their purchases not just with cars but also in department stores, furniture dealers, appliance stores and hardware shops. 11. What did plastics replace?Plastics replaced metal, ivory, animal hair, lead, and wood and glass in different products. 12. How did William J. Leavitt change the American dream?Owning a house became the American dream for middle-class Americans. Some of the techniques he dreamed up helped to make building a single family home much less expensive than before. He was able to come up with ways to mass produce homes so that they were more affordable to own. HIS 332 FINAL EXAM DUE DATE – April 28, 2014 at 6:00 PM “Business Enterprise in American History” Chapter 10-13 Answer the following (5 points each—50 points total)) Each answer should be in paragraph form and be at least 5-7 sentences long for full credit 1. What were the main provisions of the Bretton Woods Agreement in 1944?The Americans could owe much of their consumer growth to global economy and were dealing with other countries. This was quite a wave following the Great Depression. American officials were tied in to the Bretton Woods Agreement that was international. The plan was to create a global financial system that would help to render a more developed world economy following the war. The Bretton Woods Agreement involved 44 countries and they stabilized exchange rates of currency by comparing others to the American dollar. They also pegged the dollar to the value of gold. There were fixed exchange rates and an international system for economics so that all world trade could prosper. 2. In what ways did the continuing expenditures for the military and the effort to explore space affect the business system?The budgets were very high for both military and space exploration. Both of these projects required major technology products. This was a huge expense. The Cold War resulted in a lot of money spent toward military forces. There was a huge demand in weapons and maintenance. This involved many corporate executives, engineers and scientists. These expenditures favored the industries that were in the West and the South. California saw an increase because it had numerous defense industries there. Many individual firs wanted to be part of making military equipment. Several workers received higher wages during this time. 3. What was the impact of service industries on the American economy after World War II? They were a great area for entrepreneurs. While manufacturing and service sectors developed, they were interrelated. They complemented each other. New firms for advertising helped manufacturers get the attention of the growing market. Trade, finance, government and transportation was the main components of the service industry. It made up approximately 66% of the GNP in America. Some were low paying jobs but some service businesses helped strengthen foreign trade. 4. Describe how IBM became one of the largest US companies. This was a data-processing company that was important in the service industry. It assisted in helping support the needs of the federal government. It also was a growing service in big businesses. They depended on data that could be able to be provided at a fast pace. There were new office machines created. Early computers were introduced and many of these new technologies were huge for growth. IBM’s representatives were salespeople and they also backed up their service. They were much more profitable than any of their competitors. IBM stood for International Business Machines. 5. Why does the term “organization man” best describe the business executive during the 1950s and 1960s?After the Great Depression and World War II, many were interested in security. They became business executives and belonged to larger organizations. These men wanted to be accepted among other business groups. Most of the top business people in the U.S. had started as administrators that were paid on salary (40 %). Only 9 % had actually started in big business as entrepreneurs. About 60 % of these people had been with their company at least a decade and were not necessarily risk takers. Write a 3-5 sentence answer for the following (5 points each—50 total) 6. What did President Eisenhower mean by referring to the power of the “military-industrial” complex?Due to the cold war, people still need to remain armed. There were many companies that were suppliers for major weapons. Sometimes private firms would bid out the need. This was a time when people were manufacturing weapons to stay prepared and create new weapons. This was a continued industry and a lot of money was spent on it. 7. What impact did Ralph Nader have on the American consumer?He attacked the largest company, General Motors. He was a journalist and an attorney who said GM had created a defective automobile. They had designed and marketed it and had known that it was not adequate. It was the Chevrolet Corvair and some drivers of the car were killed. GM had known that the suspension system was not up to par. His revelation was the beginning of establishing regulations. 8. What were the most important details of the Civil Rights Bill of 1964 for American business?This bill was called for by John F. Kennedy. It required that all Americans were to be served regardless of any age, gender, race or ethnicity. Any facility that was open to the public must follow this legislation such as theaters, retail stores, restaurants, hotels and other similar establishments. This kept people from discriminating against African Americans. 9. In what ways has legislation changed in the post war years in the fields of environmental regulation, worker safety, and consumer regulation?Companies needed to be social responsible for their products. Now it is important that workers in these industry have access to ergonomical work environments and they must be safe or they are entitled to compensation for on the job accidents. Companies are responsible for any emissions of pollution or toxins and must follow disposal regulations. 10. Why was the Taft Hartley Act of 1947 passed? What is its continuing legacy?This restricted labor unions. It amended a previous act. It was designed to decrease any gains made by laborers. This was a revision of the National Labor Relations Act and was supposed to reform labor-law. Today, there are still labor unions that have certain rights. They had to swear they were not Communists and would not make political contributions. 11. In what ways did the American Automobile Industry compete with the imports of foreign cars into the US?Manufacturers in Japan and Germany were becoming better at design and engineering automobiles. More Americans were driving cars and relying on import of petroleum. Americans were not trying to focus o fuel efficiency. Instead, they had bigger cars that were automatic transmissions and air conditioning. This used more fuel. They had to reduce exhaust emissions for the environment. As fuel was still low, American car companies were still driving U.S. cars. It was when fuel costs were increased in 1979 that car buyers started to become more conscious on their decision of buying gas guzzlers. 12. What is franchising? How did it change American habits in dining and on vacation?Franchising is the practice of selling the rights of an original business plan from one firm to another so that there are several locations. When people went on vacation or dined, they saw places to eat or stay that were familiar. If they had stayed there before or had dined there but only at a different location, then they knew what to expect in regards to quality. 13. Compare Steve Jobs and Bill Gates and the businesses they created.Steve Jobs was the genius behind Apple and Bill Gates was behind Microsoft. Both built technology that was only compatible with some of their other products. If you wanted to use Apple technology, you had to use all of Apple’s different products. If you wanted to use Microsoft Windows, you had to use machines that were compatible. They both were able to market their product on a super large scale and then turn around, make them only compatible with the rest of their products and then it sort of turned into a monopoly. Both were insightful about the coming of age products that people would be looking for in technology. 14. In what ways did deregulation change American industry? They started to deregulate because of inflation. There were pushes of regulation for railroads, trade associations and business firms. They wanted assistance from the government to reduce competition. Regulations were removed and monopolies were created. Corporate abuse had been increasing. A federal income tax was instilled. There had to be a Federal Reserve shorter working hours, better living conditions and social services and rights to the working class. 15. What changes was made in banking industry after 1970?There was a deregulation movement. Economists and politicians were worried at the rate of the accumulation of capital to meet the business needs of the United States. There seemed to be a low rate of savings on the national level which worried then President, Richard Nixon. There was to be more competition in the banking industry to improve the efficiency but inflation got worse. There was a major pressure for change due like high rates of interests, loans for new businesses, machinery and homes. There was a large flow of capital. Extra Credit (5 points each—10 points total)Explain the following: a) NAFTA: This is the North American Free Trade Agreement. It is signed by the U.S., Mexico and Canada so that there would be rules established in North America for trade. It works with two other groups: The North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation and The North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation. It was established on January 1, 1994 and is a trade bloc. It eliminates any barriers of investment and trading between the three North American countries. It eliminated tariffs and some of the products that were exported were duty-free. Agriculture and the environment are major topics of NAFTA. The CANAMEX corridor allows for transportation on the road between Canada and Mexico. b) ASEAN: This is the Association of Southeast Asia Nations and is an economic and political organization comprised by ten countries located in Southeast Asia. It was and began in August of 1967 and originally was started by the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. It now also includes Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Brunei. It is designed to help promote social progress, economic growth, and socio-cultural change among the members while remaining a stable and peaceful organization. If it was a single operating entity, it would be the eighth largest economy in the world. Essay Questions (5 points each) 20 points total 1. A few years after the death of Francis of Assisi, his followers were divided between the “Spirituals” and the “Conventals.” Define both terms. What divided the two groups? The Spirituals were extreme followers of Saint Francis of Assissi mostly in regards to poverty. They thought the wealth of the church was scandalous. They openly revolted the authority of the Catholic Church. The conventals wanted to spread ideals of Francis of Assisi and settled into poor areas. They helped construct churches, replace buildings, and encouraged the world to come to friars for direction and confession. The two split into these groups because some wanted to live the traditional life of the teachings of Francis in solitary meditation in more rural areas. The other group wanted to live together in friaries and work with the poor in urban areas. 2. What was and was the reason for the Great Papal Schism of 1378-1415?This was the split of the Roman Catholic Church. Many people believed to be the true pope of the Catholic Church. They were driven by politics instead of theology arguments. This was the result of the Papcy to Rome under Gregory XI. This ended the Avignon Papacy. That particular Papacy had become corrupt and even estranged in some of the western parts of Christendom. Much of this is a result of powers and an increase in revenue. 3. What were Catharism and the Albigensian Crusade?The Catharism Crusade was a movement by Christians in southern Europe, southern France and northern Italy. Ascetic priests taught Catharism and there were very few guidelines. They were seen as challengers to the Catholic Church and they were thought to be members of the Church of Satan. They believed that there were two principles, one of good and one of evil. Cathars identified as Satan and they believe that all humans were created by Satan and tainted by sin upon creation. Pope Innocent III tried to end this with diplomacy and his papal legate was murdered on a return to Rome after preaching about Catholicism in south France. The Pope declare his papal legate as a martyr and began the Albigensian Crusade. This crusade put the north and south areas of France against each other. It was a change in papal policy and the pope was looking forintervention in south France. This was a 20 year long Crusade where the Pope tried to eliminate the practice of Catharism in Languedoc. 4. What was the background to Pope Boniface VIII bull “Unamsanctam”?He asserted his rights against King Phillip the Fair in France. Propositions were to be dogmatic on the unity of the church and it was necessary for eternal salvation. Pope Boniface VIII was in conflict with Philip the Fair and also Edward I of England. He issued a bull forbidding government to tax clergy members without papal permission. King Philip had a French bishop tried and imprisoned for treason which Bonifice said was not correct and he said he would depose Philip if he needed to. The bull Unam Sanctum (One Holy) was one of the most famous documents in the Middle Ages that was papal. This reaffirmed the authority of the pope as an heir of Peter and Vicar of Christ over all human authorities. He said that spiritual power rested in the hands of the church and that any power in the hands of kings or their soldiers were to only be practiced if the Church allowed it. Read More