Midterm 3/Final Flashcards
What is meant by saying the wealth in 1870 was the same as having wealth in 1770?
Wealth was a display of the amount of things one had, not the commodities one enjoyed.
Author and main idea of “Slouching toward Utopia”
J. Bradford de Long
Before 1870 major inventions did not lead to any changes in the world order or lead to any waves of invention. After 1870 the “second Industrial Revolution” led to a series of inventions and societal reformations that shaped America into the beacon of innovation and opportunity. People moved from around the world to be in America and enjoy the economy of corporations that raised the standard of living greatly.
Author and main idea of “The Laws of England”
Sir William Blackstone
When men and women marry, they must be willing to contract, able to contract, and actually contract under the proper forms and solemnities required by law. When they marry they become a single unit duly responsible for debts, responsibilities, etc. A man is charged with disciplining his wife since he is also responsible for her behavior. Anciently, harsh discipline was used but modern times are against this.
Author and main idea of “Divisions of Household Labor”
The concise encyclopedia of sociology
After the industrial revolution, spheres of work developed. Households used to generally be self-sufficient but now the men typically seek work in urban factories (productive or paid labor) while women work at home doing housework (unproductive or unpaid labor). When kids are born, men will typically be less involved in housework while women increase their housework load to take care of the extra family members
What was the new definition of wealth from the second industrial revolution?
It is not how MUCH stuff you have (like before), it is WHAT you have
In what 5 ways did the second industrial revolution change the nation and world? What author/reading says this?
Economic growth
A shift in what people did for work
A demographic shift as a result of massive immigration
Urbanization and appearance of the metropolis
The emergence of the large corporation
Brad De Long “Slouching toward Utopia”
What were the general roles of men and women in their homes pre-second industrial revolution?
Men harvested raw materials, women refined them for use. It was a very co-dependent relationship
When women were no longer refining the materials their husbands brought home, what did they refine?
Their homes and the family morals
What was the biggest concern of a large influx of immigrants between 1890 and 1910?
Difference of values
Religion
Hygiene
Loyalty to Pope and not the constitution
What were the two big concerns of urbanization and growth in cities during the early 1900’s?
The traditional “Town Hall” meeting for democracy didn’t work for millions of people in a city.
Hygiene in a city had not been developed. Pandemic were common place
What national impact did large corporations lead to?
A huge focus on education
Author and main idea of “Two Kinds of Liberty”
Isaiah Berlin/Grant Madsen
Negative liberty is the notion that freedom comes from NOT having to do something, aka freedom from coercion. It is negative because it negates what others (like the government) can do to me.
Positive liberty argues that we increase freedom by increasing abilities. This means that coercion can increase freedom in the long run (such as coercing children in the US to attend school until they’re 18).
What is the “harm principle” talked about by Berlin?
Negative liberty argues that the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.
What are the two criticisms of negative liberty discussed by Berlin?
Heroin: If freedom is leaving one to make their own decisions, soon we see they make bad decisions. Even when a person gives themself to harm or addiction, negative liberty says we cannot interfere because all people are sovereign for their own beings. Even if everyone else knows heroin is wrong or harmful for them, it is their choice to pursue happiness.
The divided self: Because we are sovereign over ourselves, we can choose to follow our worst instincts. This would eventually make us a slave to them. Also if we become addicted to something, we deliver our sovereignty to the addiction (or worst instincts) rather than ourselves, losing the freedom we originally had.
What are the two criticisms of positive liberty discussed by Berlin?
Human Nature: Positive liberty has to assume some human ideal as a basis to determine what coercion increases freedom and what doesn’t.
Who, exactly, is in charge?: Because some ideal is needed to base judgments of freedom on, someone has to decide what this ideal is. Usually this power that decides the ideal is the state.
What are the two root qualities of liberty as defined by Berlin?
- Must be capable of doing something
- Cannot meet interference from other people to do it
How does the positive liberty as described by Berlin differ from the definition of liberty described by others like Adam Smith or John Locke (negative liberty)?
Positive liberty tends to reject the passion-based freedom and institutional design that informs capitalism and our constitution
Author and main idea of “A fierce discontent”
Michael McGerr
The Second Industrial Revolution changed life dramatically and provoked the importance and division of classes. He describes the upper 10, the middle class, and the working class. The middle class (Victorians/Progressives), and especially the women, are living urban lives amidst lots and lots of hardships that are somewhat exacerbated by large amounts of immigrants. The Victorians realized they were alienated from the upper 10 and the lower working class. Progressives didn’t like all the spending of the upper 10 or the loose morals of the time.
What was the context of the progressive movement?
So much transformation and a change in the way of life thanks to the second industrial revolution
Corporations had a huge impact on education because they were looking for…
middle management
How did the middle class describe the upper 10 of the early second industrial revolution?
Showed no discipline
Too rich and powerful
Too prideful
Gambled
High divorce/low morality
Too fancy with their stuff
How did the middle describe the working class of the early second industrial revolution?
Women worked
Children also worked instead of school
With their meager wages, still focused on consumption
No focus on thrift
Too catholic
To dirty/unrefined
Partied too much, especially in saloons
Too loose with morals
Danced too close to each other
What is the summary of the threat the middle class felt?
Threat to the family, too individualistic
Progressivism is essentially what?
The threats the middle class felt from the upper and lower class to their way of life/values.