In Pursuit of Understanding The Consumption, Technology, and Politics of Land Use

Date of Award

2003

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Lewis, Eugene

Keywords

American Urban Development, Mass Consumption, American Politics

Area of Concentration

Political Science

Abstract

Condemnations of the existing metropolitan arrangements in the United States issue from all comers of social debate and critique. At the same time, those concerned with politics decry the loss of civic America. Often, personal consumption sits vaguely at the middle of this discourse although causality is seldom precisely connected. This thesis seeks to scrutinize, sharpen, and connect these disparate critiques in order to arrive at a more conclusive understanding of the American reality as it works itself out in cities. In addition to this theoretical endeavor, the daily reality of fences, shopping malls, home maintenance, and gated communities serve as starting points for a larger story of interconnectedness. Forces much larger than the individuals performing these tasks -- the government, interest groups, firms, and history -- came together with these particular activities to form an altogether dramatic and different cityscape in the United States. The political and social changes in the United States after World War II are indeed very significant, but much of the richness of interaction between large structures and smaller agents has escaped the study of American politics. I intend to generate more personal social and academic reflection on the prevailing understandings of where we are.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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