This class examines how and why twentieth-century Americans came to define the "good life" through consumption, leisure, and material abundance. We will explore how such things as department stores, nationally advertised brand-name goods, mass-produced cars, and suburbs transformed the American economy, society, and politics. The course is organized both thematically and chronologically. Each period deals with a new development in the history of consumer culture. Throughout we explore both celebrations and critiques of mass consumption and abundance.


Format, Grading and Assignments

The requirements for this class include two take-home papers based on the readings and lectures (25% each), one document collection (20%), one book review (20%) and class participation (10%). Throughout the semester, students will be expected to have completed the readings before class and come prepared to engage in discussion.


Required Texts

Readings will include the following novels and non-fiction books:

Dreiser, Theodore. Sister Carrie. (Originally published in 1900.)

Lewis, Sinclair. Babbitt. (Originally published in 1922.)

Horowitz, Daniel, and Vance Packard, eds. Status Seekers. Bedford: St. Martin's, 1995.

Brooks, David. Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000.