The invention of the automobile has brought more positive and negative effects than any other invention throughout transportation history. As the most widely accepted method of transportation, cars have changed the way people live all over the world. They have affected all aspects of society such as family life, the economy, and even the environment. It is hard to find a movie, book, or TV show that does not have some type of automobile in it. The creation and advancement of the automobile have greatly affected not just American society throughout history, but the entire world as a whole.
The first of the mass-produced automobiles started in the 1920's. In a world where heading to the grocery store is three miles East and thirty minutes away, the need for improved transportation was in demand. With the development of suburbia, cars made it easier for people to travel the advancing world around them, which was beginning to spread out at a rapid pace. They quickly gained fame as the new and fast way to travel. In the beginning, automobiles were considered a luxury, but as time slowly passed, these luxurious vehicles became more available to the public, becoming a norm in the American day to day lifestyle. Changes that were made so that the average American could afford a vehicle and purchase it, due to the lowered manufacturing costs. This reduction in costs for vehicles changes the amount of automobiles Americans owned in the United States from 8,000 - 8,000,000.
As the increased amount of vehicles became ready to the average American, the American lifestyle began to drastically change. During this time suburbs were also becoming popular. The automobile played a major role in the spreading out of these suburbs. It heavily influenced family life, and made for a more mobile society. The role of women in society was also affected by the automobile. It was unnecessary for women who lived in the city to own cars because they lived within walking distance of everything that they needed. Growing suburbs meant that women needed a comfortable and fast way of transportation. Women were not just limited to the house anymore. They could escape their normal jobs of the home, and go out and live their lives. Now, women were no longer limited to their domestic lifestyle. These changes greatly gender equality as with this increased ease of transportation for women, they were more available to apply for jobs and compete with men for such positions.
I noticed you made a point at the end about how automobiles changed the lives of women. This is interesting and I hadn't really thought of how women's roles changed due to this new freedom. They did in fact acquire the ability to move around on their own, and became more independent. They gained a way to escape their habitual lives, and make their own choices. This then increased equality, giving similar opportunities to both genders.
ReplyDelete