Overview

The year 2002 marks the 100th anniversary of the first installation of air-conditioning. During the past century, it has become a staple of American life; 83% of US homes are now air-conditioned. In this social history, Marsha Ackermann explores how the idea of cooling became firmly embedded in the social perceptions and expectations of Americans, transforming definitions of comfort and the way Americans live, work, and play. Most people first encountered air-conditioning in movie palaces and department stores during the 1920s, as well as in the futuristic World's Fair exhibits of the 1930s. However, the growth of suburbia during the 1940s and early 50s made air-conditioning a must-have for middle-class Americans, a potent symbol of the American way of life. Ackermann examines this expansion in detail, as well as the backlash from critics such as Lewis Mumford and Henry Miller, who viewed air-conditioning as an example of how American culture fosters waste and celebrates impersonal, centralized systems. Today, America is the most air-conditioned nation in the world. Yet Ackermann concludes that the promise of air-conditioning remains unfulfilled as inner-city heat waves continue to claim lives, and energy concerns persist. As with many technologies, air-conditioning as a solution is instead viewed by many as part of the problem.

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9781588340405

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Marsha E. Ackermann lectures in history at Eastern Michigan University.

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