Consumerism In Society Flashcards
Who benefited the most form the boom in the 20s (highest to lowest) and why?
Business men: they made lots of money and profit and payed no taxes.
Flappy: they got more rights and freedom and we’re able to lead their lives the way they wanted.
Housewives: they got more rights but still seen as inferior to men. To be seen rather than heard. New products from mass production like hoover and fridge made their work easier.
Factory workers: didn’t have many working rights due to ‘trade union’ having no power. Business men could increase hours with no extra pay. got low wages but still got enough to support their families.
Immigrants: treated differently and not accepted in society treated with suspicion and stayed away from problems of the country, there was a restriction to how many could enter the countries country.
Black Americans: below the poverty line because whites got their jobs and targeted by groups such as the KKK.
Native Americans: forced to be put in reserves and separated from society without having a say.
How was wealth distributed in the late 1920s?
60% of Americans lived below the poverty line earning about $2000 a year. (Many still lived in poverty) - 1929
The richest 5% earned 33% of the country’s wealth.
Those in rural areas farmers, blacks, and miners suffered during the boom
There was still unemployment in towns. The same number of people 5% were unemployed at the peak of the boom 1929 same as 1920
Problems that farmers (white) experienced during the boom:
Lower pay income so difficulty paying mortgage payments. This would lead to eviction or they would sell their land to move to the city.
It got this way because tractors, combine harvesters and new machines helped farmers to produce more food. Farmers ended up producing surplus of food (lots extra) and food prices dropped. Smaller farms had smaller incomes.
Problems black farmers/labourers/workers experienced during th boom:
1 million blacks lost their jobs in the 1920s. So people had to move to the city where people usually found work but for very low pay and long a hard hours.
This happened because many small farms could not afford to keep their workers.
Problems miners faced during the boom:
Oil, gas and electricity were widely used. This lead to wage cuts, job loses and mine closers. It got to this because of the over mining of coal. Coal was not used as much as oil and gas.
Problems recent immigrants faced during the boom:
The growth in industry did not create new jobs. Mass production was dependant on each worker doing a single job so employees could do more work and not employ new people even though the amount of goods had doubled.
It got this way because people would prioritise and hire white Americans leaving black ps and immigrants below poverty line.
