Household Technology and Social Status: Rising Living Standards and Status and Residence Differences in Housework

With increases in of similar goods and services diffused to Americans of every strata. In past, population was divided clearly by its purchases. This no longer is true. As Lynds describe it, Middletown in 1890 lived on series of plateaus as regards of living, but by 1920 the edges of plateau have been shaved off and everyone lives on slope from any point of which desirable things belonging to people all way to top are in view.' Newly available household appliances, commercial services, clothing, automobiles, and movies were transforming living styles of Middletown's classes. However, even with these changes, in 1920s consumption styles of American families still varied sharply by social status and residence. Today mass production, credit, rise in real income, urbanization, and modernization of existing farm households all suggest that consumer goods are distributed more equally than they were fifty years ago. American families are now unified by a consumption community2 or standard package of goods.3 The consequence of this striking uniformity in consumption rather than subtle differences will be treated here. This does not