Sold American

Consumption and Citizenship, 1890-1945

Business & Finance, Marketing & Sales, Consumer Behaviour, Nonfiction, History, Americas, United States, 20th Century
Cover of the book Sold American by Charles F. McGovern, The University of North Carolina Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Charles F. McGovern ISBN: 9780807876640
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press Publication: January 6, 2009
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press Language: English
Author: Charles F. McGovern
ISBN: 9780807876640
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Publication: January 6, 2009
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Language: English

At the turn of the twentieth century, an emerging consumer culture in the United States promoted constant spending to meet material needs and develop social identity and self-cultivation. In Sold American, Charles F. McGovern examines the key players active in shaping this cultural evolution: advertisers and consumer advocates. McGovern argues that even though these two professional groups invented radically different models for proper spending, both groups propagated mass consumption as a specifically American social practice and an important element of nationality and citizenship.

Advertisers, McGovern shows, used nationalist ideals, icons, and political language to define consumption as the foundation of the pursuit of happiness. Consumer advocates, on the other hand, viewed the market with a republican-inspired skepticism and fought commercial incursions on consumer independence. The result, says McGovern, was a redefinition of the citizen as consumer. The articulation of an "American Way of Life" in the Depression and World War II ratified consumer abundance as the basis of a distinct American culture and history.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

At the turn of the twentieth century, an emerging consumer culture in the United States promoted constant spending to meet material needs and develop social identity and self-cultivation. In Sold American, Charles F. McGovern examines the key players active in shaping this cultural evolution: advertisers and consumer advocates. McGovern argues that even though these two professional groups invented radically different models for proper spending, both groups propagated mass consumption as a specifically American social practice and an important element of nationality and citizenship.

Advertisers, McGovern shows, used nationalist ideals, icons, and political language to define consumption as the foundation of the pursuit of happiness. Consumer advocates, on the other hand, viewed the market with a republican-inspired skepticism and fought commercial incursions on consumer independence. The result, says McGovern, was a redefinition of the citizen as consumer. The articulation of an "American Way of Life" in the Depression and World War II ratified consumer abundance as the basis of a distinct American culture and history.

More books from The University of North Carolina Press

Cover of the book Out on Assignment by Charles F. McGovern
Cover of the book Lost and Found in Translation by Charles F. McGovern
Cover of the book Every Nation Has Its Dish by Charles F. McGovern
Cover of the book The Yankee Plague by Charles F. McGovern
Cover of the book Themes in Religion and American Culture by Charles F. McGovern
Cover of the book On Freedom and the Will to Adorn by Charles F. McGovern
Cover of the book Plain Folk's Fight by Charles F. McGovern
Cover of the book The Pearl by Charles F. McGovern
Cover of the book Journal of the Civil War Era by Charles F. McGovern
Cover of the book Living with Spina Bifida by Charles F. McGovern
Cover of the book Southern Capitalists by Charles F. McGovern
Cover of the book Seasons of Change by Charles F. McGovern
Cover of the book You Can’t Eat Freedom by Charles F. McGovern
Cover of the book To Lead As Equals by Charles F. McGovern
Cover of the book Southern Cultures: Southern Waters Issue by Charles F. McGovern
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy