Awards
- Winner of 2018 Top Ten Reference 2005
- Winner of 2018 Top Ten Reference 2005 (United States)
Overview
This intriguing book examines how material objects of the 20th century—ranging from articles of clothing to tools and weapons, communication devices, and toys and games—reflect dominant ideas and testify to the ways social change happens. Objects of everyday life tell stories about the ways everyday Americans lived. Some are private or personal things—such as Maidenform brassiere or a pair of patched blue jeans. Some are public by definition, such as the bus Rosa Parks boarded and refused to move back for a white passenger. Some material things or inventions reflect the ways public policy affected the lives of Americans, such as the Enovid birth control pill. An invention like the electric wheelchair benefited both the private and public spheres: it eased the lives of physically disabled individuals, and it played a role in assisting those with disabilities to campaign successfully for broader civil rights. Artifacts from Modern America demonstrates how dozens of the material objects, items, technologies, or inventions of the 20th century serve as a window into a period of history. After an introductory discussion of how to approach material culture—the world of things—to better understand the American past, essays describe objects from the previous century that made a wide-ranging or long-lasting impact. The chapters reflect the ways that communication devices, objects of religious life, household appliances, vehicles, and tools and weapons changed the lives of everyday Americans. Readers will learn how to use material culture in their own research through the book's detailed examples of how interpreting the historical, cultural, and social context of objects can provide a better understanding of the 20th-century experience.
Full Product Details
Author: Helen Sheumaker
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Imprint: Greenwood Press
Weight: 1.361kg
ISBN: 9781440846823
ISBN 10: 1440846820
Pages: 384
Publication Date: 03 November 2017
Recommended Age: From 7 to 17 years
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Primary & secondary/elementary & high school
,
Tertiary & Higher Education
,
Educational: Primary & Secondary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Manufactured on demand
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.
Reviews
An intriguing look back over the 1900s. . . . A valid study of intrinsic and extrinsic worth, the source presents an organized synopsis of changing times, interests, and needs. A useful work for public, junior high, and high school libraries. * Booklist *
An intriguing look back over the 1900s. . . . A valid study of intrinsic and extrinsic worth, the source presents an organized synopsis of changing times, interests, and needs. A useful work for public, junior high, and high school libraries. - Booklist
"""An intriguing look back over the 1900s. . . . A valid study of intrinsic and extrinsic worth, the source presents an organized synopsis of changing times, interests, and needs. A useful work for public, junior high, and high school libraries."" - Booklist"
Author Information
Helen Sheumaker, PhD, is a lecturer in history and American studies at Miami University of Ohio.
