Robert A. Gross begins his article Markets, Magazines, and More with reference to a quote from Ellen Gruber Garvey’s book The Adman in the Parlor: Magazines and the Gendering of Consumer Culture which summarizes quite well the essential reason behind many developments that led to the creation of an American mass market. “Why…do men make magazines? To sell ad. space in them. What’s a magazine? So many pages of ad. space.” According to Gross magazines were not so much about content as they were about the advertisements in them. Of course, magazines had to be sold in order for people to read the ads, but the content of the magazine was not designed to improve the reader’s life but to get him interested in the product and eventually make him buy it.
Many scholars such as William Leach see this development in the American media landscape from a purely informational and even missionary character to a consumption and marketing based arena as a major move away from the traditional values of media outlets such as the newspaper and others. Leach evaluates this change in his book The Land of Desire where he takes a close look at the changes within the American culture and market. He argues that in the decades after the Civil War “American capitalism began to produce a distinct culture, unconnected to traditional family or community values, to religion in any conventional sense, or to political democracy. It was a secular business and market-oriented culture […].” He traces this change from the time of the Protestant settlers and early American community life, where the ultimate fulfilment was salvation, spiritual blessings for all and an end to poverty, to the 1900s, where those religious ideals were increasingly transformed and commercialized into personal satisfaction and individual pleasures and profit.
With the appearance of “new pleasure palaces” such as department stores, theaters, restaurants, hotels, dance halls, and amusement parks Americans experienced the joy of personal satisfaction. Whereas in the past, Leach writes, “values had taken their character from … the church; now they were deriving it from business and consumption.” This democratization of individual desire of the post Civil War culture is probably one of the “most notable contributions to modern society” according to Leach.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- The Creation of the American Mass Market and Consumer Culture
- The Role of Magazines
- Shifting Cultural Values
- The Rise of Consumer Capitalism
- Producer Influence and Consumer Response
- Alternative Perspectives and Resistance
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines the creation of the American mass market and consumer culture, exploring the interplay between producers and consumers in shaping this historical development. It analyzes the transition from traditional values to a market-oriented culture and investigates the role of various factors, including advertising, technological advancements, and governmental policies, in driving this transformation.
- The role of magazines and advertising in shaping consumer culture.
- The shift from traditional values to a market-oriented society.
- The influence of producers and publishers on consumer behavior.
- The dynamic relationship between consumers and producers.
- The emergence of resistance to consumer capitalism.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The Creation of the American Mass Market and Consumer Culture: This introductory section sets the stage for the paper by establishing the central question: How did the American mass market and consumer culture emerge? It introduces key scholars and their arguments, highlighting the debate surrounding the relative influence of producers and consumers in shaping this transformation. The section introduces the concept of a shift from a traditionally value-based society to one driven by consumption and market forces, paving the way for a deeper exploration of these themes in subsequent sections.
The Role of Magazines: This section focuses on the crucial role magazines played in creating the mass market. It argues that magazines were primarily vehicles for advertising, with content serving to attract readers to the advertisements. The discussion emphasizes the commercial nature of magazines, contrasting their focus on selling advertising space with the traditionally informational and value-oriented nature of earlier media. This section lays the groundwork for exploring the broader strategies employed to cultivate a consumer-driven society.
Shifting Cultural Values: This section examines the transformation of American cultural values from a focus on religious ideals and community to a market-oriented culture centered on personal satisfaction and individual consumption. It draws on the work of scholars like William Leach who describe the emergence of a secular, business-driven culture in the post-Civil War era. The rise of "new pleasure palaces" such as department stores and amusement parks are presented as key symbols of this shift, illustrating how leisure and consumption became increasingly intertwined. The chapter lays the groundwork for understanding how cultural values adapted and in part, were replaced by a culture of consumption.
The Rise of Consumer Capitalism: This section delves into the key reasons behind the rise of consumer capitalism. It highlights the development of a new commercial aesthetic, the collaboration between economic and non-economic institutions, and the emergence of a class of brokers as contributing factors. The importance of creating a desirable and attainable vision of the "good life" through advertising and technological advancements (such as electric signs) is underscored. This section explores the strategic use of advertising to influence consumer behavior and shape desires, creating a demand for mass-produced goods.
Producer Influence and Consumer Response: This section explores the differing perspectives on the balance of power between producers and consumers. While some scholars emphasize the manipulative power of producers in shaping consumer behavior, others highlight the active role consumers played in the development of consumer culture. The section presents examples of how advertising strategies and technological innovations influenced consumer choices, but also acknowledges the complexity of consumer decision-making and the limitations of focusing solely on producer influence. The section emphasizes the ongoing dynamic interaction between producers and consumers as an important aspect of the narrative.
Alternative Perspectives and Resistance: This section challenges the notion of a completely passive consumer. It introduces alternative institutions and social groups that offered counterpoints to the dominant consumer culture. The discussion touches on the resistance from various groups against the encroachment of big business and the capitalist model, illustrating that the development of the mass market and consumer culture wasn't simply a matter of widespread acceptance or passive manipulation. This highlights the ongoing societal tension between embracing consumerism and retaining traditional values or alternative lifestyles.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
American mass market, consumer culture, magazines, advertising, consumer capitalism, cultural values, producer influence, consumer behavior, resistance, post-Civil War America.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Comprehensive Language Preview
What is the overall topic of this paper?
This paper examines the creation of the American mass market and consumer culture, exploring the interplay between producers and consumers in shaping this historical development. It analyzes the transition from traditional values to a market-oriented culture and investigates the role of various factors, including advertising, technological advancements, and governmental policies, in driving this transformation.
What are the key themes explored in this paper?
Key themes include the role of magazines and advertising in shaping consumer culture; the shift from traditional values to a market-oriented society; the influence of producers and publishers on consumer behavior; the dynamic relationship between consumers and producers; and the emergence of resistance to consumer capitalism.
What is covered in each chapter?
The paper is structured into several chapters. The introduction establishes the central question of how the American mass market and consumer culture emerged. Subsequent chapters delve into the role of magazines as advertising vehicles, the shift in cultural values from traditional ideals to consumerism, the rise of consumer capitalism itself, the interplay of producer influence and consumer response, and finally, alternative perspectives and resistance to this consumer culture.
What is the role of magazines discussed in the paper?
The paper highlights the crucial role magazines played in creating the mass market, primarily as vehicles for advertising, with content designed to attract readers to the advertisements. It emphasizes the commercial nature of magazines and their contribution to cultivating a consumer-driven society.
How did cultural values shift during this period?
The paper examines the transformation of American cultural values from a focus on religious ideals and community to a market-oriented culture centered on personal satisfaction and individual consumption. The rise of "new pleasure palaces" like department stores and amusement parks is presented as a key symbol of this shift.
What factors contributed to the rise of consumer capitalism?
The rise of consumer capitalism is attributed to a new commercial aesthetic, collaboration between economic and non-economic institutions, the emergence of brokers, and the creation of a desirable and attainable vision of the "good life" through advertising and technological advancements.
What is the balance of power between producers and consumers?
The paper explores differing perspectives on the balance of power between producers and consumers. While acknowledging the manipulative power of producers, it also highlights the active role consumers played in the development of consumer culture. It emphasizes the dynamic interaction between them.
Was there any resistance to consumer capitalism?
Yes, the paper acknowledges the existence of alternative institutions and social groups that offered counterpoints to the dominant consumer culture, illustrating resistance to the encroachment of big business and the capitalist model. This highlights that the development of the mass market and consumer culture wasn't simply a matter of widespread acceptance.
What are the key words associated with this paper?
Key words include American mass market, consumer culture, magazines, advertising, consumer capitalism, cultural values, producer influence, consumer behavior, resistance, and post-Civil War America.
- Quote paper
- Michael Schmid (Author), 2004, The Creation of the American mass market and consumer culture, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/66610
