Kenneth J. Bindas

Modernity and the Great Depression explores how the worst economic, social, and political crisis in the last century created the space for a national conversation about the ideals of modernity order, planning, and reason."

The Transformation of American Society, 1930-1941

Modernity and the Great Depression

The New Deal and American Society, 1933–1941 explores what some have labeled the third American revolution, in one concise and accessible volume. This book examines the emergence of modern America, beginning with the 100 Days legislation in 1933 through to the second New Deal era that began in 1935. This revolutionary period introduced sweeping social and economic legislation designed to provide the American people with a sense of hope while at the same time creating regulations designed to safeguard against future depressions. It was not without critics or failures, but even these proved significant in the ongoing discussions concerning the idea of federal power, social inclusion, and civil rights. Uncertainties concerning aggressive, nationalistic states like Italy, Germany, and Japan shifted the focus of FDR's administration, but the events of World War II solidified the ideas and policies begun during the 1930s, especially as they related to the welfare state. The legacy of the New Deal would resonate well into the current century through programs like Social Security, unemployment compensation, workers' rights, and the belief that the federal government is responsible for the economic well-being of its citizenry. The volume includes many primary documents to help situate students and bring this era to life. The text will be of interest to students of American history, economic and social history, and, more broadly, courses that engage social change and economic upheaval.

The New Deal and American Society, 1933–1941

It was for stage bands, for dancing, and for a jiving mood of letting go. Throughout the nation swing re-sounded with the spirit of good times. But this pop genre, for a decade America's favorite, arose during the worst of times, the Great Depression. From its peak in the 1930s until bebop, r & b, and country swamped it after World War II, swing defined an American generation and measured America's musical heartbeat. In its heyday swing reached a mass audience of very disparate individuals and united them. They perceived in the tempers and tempos of swing the very definition of modernity. A survey of the thirties reveals that the time was indeed the Swing Era, America's segue into modernity. What social structures encouraged swing's creation, acceptance, and popularity? Swing, That Modern Sound examines the cultural and historical significance of swing and tells how and why it achieved its audience, unified its fans, defined its generation, and, after World War II, fell into decline. What fed the music? And, in turn, what did the music feed? This book shows that swing manifested the kind of up-to-date allure that the populace craved. Swing sounded modern, happy, optimistic. It flouted the hardship signals of the Great Depression. The key to its rise and appeal, this book argues, was its all-out appropriation of modernity--consumer advertising, the language and symbols of consumption, and the public's all-too-evident wish for goods during a period of scarcity. As it examines the role of race, class, and gender in the creation of this modern music, Swing, That Modern Sound tells how a music genre came to symbolize the cultural revolution taking place in America. Kenneth J. Bindas is an associate professor of history at Kent State University, Trumbull Campus, in Warren, Ohio. He is the author of All of This Music Belongs to the Nation: The WPA's Federal Music Project and American Society, 1935--1939.

Swing, that Modern Sound

Justin Corfield

Daniel Leab

Alan Harris Stein

Steven L. Danver

A comprehensive encyclopedia of the 1930s in the United States, showing how the Depression affected every aspect of American life. • Over 650 alphabetically organized entries on the impact of the Depression and the New Deal on the nation's economy, politics, society, arts, and minorities • 45 contributors at the forefront of current scholarship on 1930s America and the continuing aftershocks of that tumultuous time • Primary documents integrated throughout, including Woody Guthrie songs, writings and speeches from Huey Long and Father Coughlin, murals by Diego Rivera, excerpts from The Grapes of Wrath, and contemporary newspaper articles • Illustrations providing definitive images of the Depression/New Deal era, including federally funded work such as Dorothea Lange's photography for the Farm Security Administration • A comprehensive chronology that marks the origins, course, and consequences of the Depression and the New Deal • Bibliographic listings for each entry and a comprehensive index of people, places, events, and key terms

Kenneth J. Bindas

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