The Post-Industrial Economy

This figure demonstrates the shift from an economy dominated by manufacturing, to one dominated by information and services. As I understand it, it is this shift that is driving the shrinking of the middle class.


Image borrowed from http://www.whosyourcity.com/.

1943 Guide to Hiring Women

The first time I saw this, I was suspicious that it might be a hoax. But it turns out it's real (at least Snopes says so).

Thanks, Orla H.!

Database of Old Ads

The John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising, and Marketing History at Duke University has a trove of old ads available at Ad*Access.

Thanks for the link, Martin W.!

The Gap Between The Life Expectancy Of The Rich And Poor Is Increasing

Perhaps related to increasing wealth and income inequality in our society, the gap between the life expectancy of the rich and the poor is also increasing. This image is from a New York Times article on the topic:



Dr. Singh, who was part of the study, explains:

In 1980-82... people in the most affluent group could expect to live 2.8 years longer than people in the most deprived group (75.8 versus 73 years). By 1998-2000, the difference in life expectancy had increased to 4.5 years (79.2 versus 74.7 years), and it continues to grow.

Two Excellent Graphs Illustrating Increasing Income Inequality

This first graph shows the relative increase in the incomes (inflation adjusted) of the top 1% of income earning households, the middle 60% and the lowest 20% (percentages, presumably, approximate) since 1979.

This second graph shows a more detailed picture of the relative increase in the incomes (inflation adjusted) of households in the 95th , 80th, 60th, 40th, and 20th percentile since 1949. Note how household incomes were rising at about the same rate prior to 1970, at which point those households in the 95th percentile started out growing other percentiles, those in the 20th stayed stagnant, and those in between were somewhere in between.




I borrowed these graphs from Lane Kenworthy, who also offers a truly excellent and detailed explanation of the measures.


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Blame It On The Baby Boomers

Chris Uggen has a nice discussion of this graph (see here) showing the (it turns out more or less linear) change in drug use between 2001 and 2007. In particular, he offers a nice idea for how to use it to talk about the difference between cohort, age, and period effects.


Graph originally found here.

The Ideal Body In 2001?

This is Julia Roberts winning the Oscar for best actress. It was 2001. Notice that, despite the fact that she won for her portrayal of a very highly sexualized woman, she isn't a stick figure. In fact, relative to the twigs of today, she is actually kind of thick and has pretty big arms. Could a woman could go to the Oscars looking like this today and not get called fat in the tabloids?

Incarceration Rates In the U.S. And Elsewhere

According to today's New York Times, the incarceration rate in the U.S. continues to rise. One in 99 American adults is now behind bars. Hispanics and Blacks are incarcerated disproportionately: One in 36 Hispanics one in 15 Black adults is behind bars.



Here we are in comparison with some other countries:


Via the Bureau of Justice.

1936 Plastic Surgery Ad

The caption to the photo said, "New York plastic surgeon Jacob Sarnoff drew this vision of total transformation--entitled 'diagrammatic illustration of common deformities amenable to plastic surgery'--in 1936."

I found this in Venus Envy: A History of Cosmetic Surgery, by Elizabeth Haiken (1997), page 13.

1927 Wimbledon Ad: Using Women's Progress to Sell

These two images were used in a 1927 ad for Wimbledon. Lisa actually sent them to me a couple of years ago but has never posted them, so I'm doing it. The point of showing the two images next to each other was to stress how liberated women were by 1927--they aren't wearing stuffy old dresses to play tennis, and men aren't shocked by the sight of a leg.

I use these, along with some of the "You've Come a Long Way, Baby" Virginia Slims ads, to show how "women's liberation" is used by advertisers to sell products, as well as to imply that "now" (whenever "now" is) is always better than "then" (some indeterminate point in the past) and that the struggle for equality and freedom is over.

Virginia Slims Ads: Commodifying Freedom

"Back then, you didn't look through your closet for something to wear. You wore your closet. You've come a long way, baby."

Find your voice with Virginia Slims.

This is a Virginia Slims ad from 1978. The picture above is of a woman hanging laundry out to dry and the text says, "Back then, every man gave his wife at least one day a week out of the house. You've come a long way, baby."

I'm using this when I talk about the commodification of the women's movement and how freedom has been turned into something you buy. I also like the vague "back then," used to make now seem so much better in every way.

Changing Male Body Ideals

These photos are from a February 7th New York Times story in the Style section (p. E1 and E6) about changes in what male fashion models look like. This first picture shows some male models from the 1990s.




These three photos show the new ideal: very thin, lanky, and pasty.

The Ideal Man

This nice Barbie and Ken from 1961 might be useful for demonstrating just how much the ideal masculine body has changed.


Look at those skinny legs!

Origins of Food Crops

Almond = Asia
Apple = Europe/Asia
Apricots = Asia
Arrowroot = South America
Artichoke = Europe
Asparagus = Asia
Avocado = South America
Bamboo = Asia
Banana = Southeast Asia
Barley = Middle East (?)
Basil = India
Beet = Europe/Mediterranean
Bay = Mediterranean
Bitter melon = Africa/Asia/Australia
Black-eyed pea = North Africa/South Asia (?)
Black pepper = Tropical India
Blackberry = North America
Blueberry = North America/Europe
Brazil nut = South America
Breadfruit = Asia
Broccoli = Europe
Brussels sprouts = Europe
Buckwheat = Western China
Cabbage = Europe
Cacoa/cocoa = Mexico
Cannabis = Central Asia
Canna = South America
Capers = Mediterranean
Carambola (star fruit) = Asia
Carrot = Europe
Cashew = South America
Cauliflower = Europe
Celery = Mediterranean (?)
Cherry = Eurasia
Chestnut = North America
Chickpea/garbanzo bean = Southeast Turkey/Middle East
Chicory = Asia
Chili pepper = South American tropics
Chive = North America/Asia
Cilantro/coriander = Europe/Asia
Cinnamon = South Asian tropics
Clove = Indonesia
Coconut = Asia
Coffee = Ethiopia
Cola nut = West Africa
Collard = Europe
Corn = Mexico
Cranberry = Asia
Cucumber = Africa/Asia
Currant = Europe/Asia
Custard apple = South America
Date = Africa/Asia
Date palm = Asia
Eggplant = Africa/Asia
Endive = Asia
Fig = Europe
Garlic = Asia
Ginger = Southern China
Gooseberry = Europe
Grapefruit = Asia or West Indies
Grapes = Europe/North America
Sweet pea = Southwest Asia (?)
Guava = South America
Hazelnut = Europe
Hops = Near East
Jackfruit = Asia
Kale = Europe
Kiwi = Asia
Kohlrabi = Europe
Leek = Mediterranean and Middle East
Lemon = Asia
Lettuce = Western Asia
Lime = Asia
Loganberry = North America
Loquat = Asia
Macadamia nut = Africa/Australia
Mango = Asia
Manioc = South America
Maple sugar = North America
Marjoram = North Africa/Asia
Melon = Africa/Asia
Millet = East/Central Africa
Mint = Europe
Mustard = Mediterranean/Southwest Asia
Nutmeg = Malaysia
Oats = Near East
Oil Palm = West Africa
Okra = Asia
Olive = Europe/Middle East
Onion = Asia
Orange = Southeast Asia
Oregano = Eurasia
Papaya = South America
Paprika = South American tropics
Parsley = Eurasia
Parsnip = Eurasia
Passion fruit = South American tropics
Peach = Asia
Peanut = Brazil
Pear = Western Europe
Pecan = North America
Pineapple = South America
Pistachio = Mediterranean
Pomegranate = Asia
Potato = South America
Pummelo = Asia
Quinoa = South America
Radish = Europe/Asia
Raspberry = North America
Rhubarb = Asia
Rice = India/Southeast Asia
Rosemary = Mediterranean
Sapadilla = South America
Sesame = Africa, Asia
Sorghum = Africa
Soybean = Northeast China
Spinach = Asia
Squash = North America/South America
Strawberry = North America
Sunflower = North America/South America
Sweet pepper = South America
Sweet potato = South America
Swiss chard = Europe/Asia
Tamarind = India/Tropical rainforest
Tea = India/China
Tef = Ethiopia
Thyme = Mediterranean
Tomato = South America
Turnip = Asia
Vanilla = Mexico
Walnut = North America/Asia
Watermelon = Africa/Asia
Wheat = Near East
Wild rice = North America
Yam = Asia
Yantia = South America
Zucchini = North America/South America

I use these in class to illustrate how "tradition" is constructed--for instance, tomatoes are now seen as the essence of traditional Italian cooking, and yet they are native to South America and only made it to Italy a few hundred years ago, and coffee is native to Ethiopia but the country most associated with it today is Colombia.

It's also useful for talking about globalization and showing that it's been going on longer than the last 100 years or so--movement of crops within and between hemispheres has been going on for thousands of years.

These are from L.H Bailey, Ethel Zoe Bailey, and the Staff of Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortotorium. 1997. Hortus Third: A Concise Dictionary of Plants Cultivated in the United States and Canada. New York: Barnes & Noble.

Increase In Cosmetic Surgery

Data on the prevalence of cosmetic surgery is notoriously difficult to find. This is data on the five most common procedures, according to one association's members:


Pretty amazing.

Co-Opting Punk Culture

This might be a useful image for talking about the commodification of protest and "alternative" culture. It was being sold at the H&M store in Pasadena. It's the latest in a progression of the co-opting of the punk aesthetic--first stores like Hot Topic started selling clothing with rips and safety pins and such in them, so you could go pay a lot of money for pre-packaged punk or goth looks. Now it's gone a step further where they no longer even bother to put a real safety pin in--now you just get pictures of safety pins, meant to evoke that sense of non-conformity in the safest, most easily-marketed way possible, along with your Sum 41 (or whatever their name is) CD.

2007 Tonka Truck Ad: "Built for Boyhood"

The 2007-2008 campaign for Tonka trucks is "built for boyhood." You can see the ad at the Hasbro website. Click on the "watch video" tab. Notice all the messages about boys: they're just "built different," they get dirty, and they cause messes.

Some Graphs On Historical Changes In The Body

On Size:

On Lifespan:

From the National Center for Health Statistics; National Vital Statistics System; Dora Costa, MIT; Richard H. Steckel, Ohio State University; Center on the Economics and Demography of Aging. University of California, Berkeley.