For week 6, the topic of the lecture was consumption in
relation to popular culture dating all the way back to the 1930’s. In the 1930’s,
800,000 people received electricity in their home for first time. Items were now
made as part of a line of manufacture, hence the term ‘fordism’; whereas
previously things such as cars were made by hand and each will have been unique
down to the smallest detail, cars were now being made in factories as part of
an assembly line. New pharmaceuticals were being manufactured allowing people to
live longer thus contributing to a rising population. In 1939 the first credit
card was introduced, allowing people to have what they wanted sooner, rather
than waiting for their pay check or saving their money. By the 1950’s more
children were being born, couples can afford appliances like televisions
therefore exposing them to the outside world. Frozen foods were available by
the 50’s and the first fast food restaurants were beginning to open. In 1954
the first Wimpy opened its doors. 15 years later in 1969 there are 460. Rural
populations fell and populations of towns and suburbs increased. Consumption can
also be linked to the conscription act ending. Young men were no longer required
to do national service and it could be argued that that is related to the mods
vs Rockers fights at Brighton which received lot of media coverage. Mods, just
like the Beatles, were subverting traditional stereotypes by wearing designer fashion
labels like Fred Perry, normally reserved for the wealthy; just like the
Beatles did by wearing suits that were normally reserved for business men. In
doing so the Mods created their own sense of belonging and their own sense
community through their consumerism.
- Michael Butler
