Contents:
-Necessities vs. Luxuries
-Hobbies vs.  Dreary Chores
-Patterns of Recreation and Consumption Since WWII
-Affluence of Women in the Workforce
-Women Working for Economic Necessities or Personal Fulfillment
 
 

NECESSITIES VS. LUXURIES

There are many things that we as people may call necessities, when a generation or two ago they were luxuries.  Some of the things that were once luxuries but now we call them necessities are: more than one television or automobile, victrola (stereo), dishwasher, computer, microwave, furnace, heating and air conditioning, indoor plumbing and running water, telephones, a college education, going out to dinner and going on at least one vacation per year. http://www.hcc.hawaii.edu/hawaii/pictures/beach4.gif

Televisions have been around for a while, but they were only black and white.  Now we not only have colored ones, but they come in all sizes.  I, myself, have a 50" digital television in my family room (Julie Estes).  Leslie Smarr states that her family now has "five colored televisions, including a big screen.  The difference of recent generations from the ones in the past is shown by James Proctor.  "My grandpa owned one television and one car and my great grandpa did not own either one," he said.

Something else that is regarded as a necessity today is the automobile - a nice one at that.  In the 1930's, Professor Stieha's grandfather owned his own car in Brooklyn, New York during the Depression.  It was a "Rio Flying Cloud" she states.  Danielle Nanni claims that it is a necessity to have your "own car."

According to Professor Stieha, Minnie Siegel recalls saying a luxury of the old days was the victrola.  It was years later that she acquired her own phonograph.  Today in Professor Stieha's home, her family has one stereo system and four smaller boom boxes.  "One for almost every person in the family." (Stieha)  "A stereo seems to have become a standard appliance" says Professor Stieha.  Computers are also a necessity now, because everything will be done on computers soon.  Catherine Saunders said that she can easily use a computer at home, work, school and/or the library.  Kristin Eaton states "My grandma won't even touch a computer or VCR.  She's afraid that she'll break something."  Another necessity is a telephone.  "To my family it is very important to have a phone in almost every room of the house." (Julie Estes)

Dishwashers are also a necessity because many people are either too lazy or do not have enough time to wash dishes by hand.  Lastly, something that is a huge necessity today is a college education.  "I am the first person in my immediate family to get a college education," says Danielle Nanni.

Some of these necessities may not be as important if we would only change our material needs to emotional needs.  We claim that we need things that we really do not.

HOBBIES VS. DREARY CHORES

Hobbies of the late twentieth  century are very similar to the chores of a generation or two ago.  The only difference is that you want to do a hobby and have to do a chore.

While collecting wood was a chore, Nicole McEachin explains how it is now a hobby.  "People used to have to collect wood everyday - just to keep their houses warm and now we collect wood to have a campfire or for the fun of a fireplace."  Today people also like to work in their yard and garden.  It is now enjoyable to work in the garden, planting flowers, to make your yard pretty.

Many years ago women used would stay at home to sew and wash clothes.  These tasks were chores a generation or two ago because as Grandma Helena Nanni remembers how hard it was to wash clothes on washboards. Now she says it is so easy to throw the clothes in a washer and dryer.  Now women sew because they want to, for something to occupy their spare time.  While the women are sewing and washing clothes, the dads and grandpas (at least J.D.'s are) are doing body work on cars.  Someone also stated that it is now a hobby to spend time with your father.  This is because years ago the mother took care of the children while the father was at work.  This has been a positive turn around.

Last but not least, shopping is another major hobby of people in the late twentieth century.  This is because we buy out of impulse not need or material comfort.  According to Professor Stieha this "comfort in Minnie Marshak Siegel's youth meant having enough food.  It was not important . . . to have fancy curtains and trinkets . . ."  As a result of that attitude, Minnie reports never knowing "if they were or were not well off - there was always enough" she said.

PATTERNS OF CONSUMPTION AND RECREATION SINCE WWII

The recreation and consumption of my generation has dramatically changed since the last generation.  That generation never had shopping malls that they could go to at any time.  All they had were little stores that sold only the necessities that people needed.  The malls and stores of today are filled with items that people really don't need; yet they feel it's a necessity.  For example, you go into a grocery store and there are about twenty aisles of food for you to choose from.  In those twenty aisles only half of the items are picked up frequently.

Having more than one car in a family is very common and when someone turns sixteen, then gets their license they have to have a car or their world ends.  The older generation was lucky to have one car; if they even got a chance to have a car.  The kind of car that people choose is a lot fancier and expensive than ever before.  In the past people were lucky to have a car that went above thirty miles per hour.  Having a stereo has become an important source in their houses, or they have it in their car.  People in the last generation were lucky to have a radio to listen to that only had a few channels on it.
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Having a fire in the fireplace kept houses warm a generation ago.  Now, they are used for not only keeping a house warm, but to set a comfortable, relaxing surrounding, especially when company comes over.  People don't need the fireplace to keep warm when they have central heating, which used to be unheard of.  Going out to a restaurant more than once a week is quite common with people of today's generation.  There are many restaurants to choose from, and if you don't like the restaurants in one city then go to another city.  The earlier generation had a Diner to go to and there was usually one per town.  Today, you don't even have to go to a restaurant, you could go to a fast food place like Mc Donald’s for quick service.  Also, taking a vacation as a family is more common now.  People travel all over the world together mostly by airplane.  In the last generation you were lucky if you could miss one day of work to take care of their family.  Vacations cost too much and took up too much time back then.  Families also never spent quality time with each other, because they were too busy.

AFFLUENCE OF WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE

A lot of women of today are going into the workforce as a secondary income.  Today women need to work to pay bills and buy some extra items to make life a little more exciting.  For instance, going out and buying a 25,000 dollar car instead of a 15,000 dollar car, or less.  Some people feel that the more expensive an item is the better the item will be in the future.  With some items that's true, but it is all a matter of opinion when it comes to what people should pay for an item.  Women are going to college to get a decent job that they enjoy very much so that they can enjoy making their money.  Men are also beginning to go to college more often.  Money matters to people a lot, but people don't want to suffer through a job just to make money.  http://www.aflcio.org/women/wwfacts.htm

WOMEN WORKING FOR ECONOMIC NECESSITIES OR PERSONAL FULFILLMENT

Many families have the man and woman working to bring in income.  This shows when they have a nice car, house, and their children have every toy that you could possibly buy.  Women mainly work to be independent, and not worry about money problems like their parents and grandparents did.  Young adults who will soon be women are making plans for college, so they can get a decent job in a career that they enjoy doing.  Within the next twenty years there will not be one female over eighteen that doesn't work.  http://www.admin.uiuc.edu/nb/99.09/womenlabortip.html
 

In doing this project, you come to realize that every family has their own way of living.  Whether it's every female in the house having a career or if the family enjoys spending quality time together, every family is unique.  In general, from the 1980's to the present time the lifestyles of the century have done a complete turn around. Overall, the production of this project was a learning experience not only for the creators, but for the readers.

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