IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom at the Vineyard Church
Public images of the 1920s emphasize frivolity: bathtub gin, flappers, flagpole sitters, and “flaming youth.” All these were indeed part of that decade. But so was the emergence of a society we recognize as much like our own, and that will be the theme of this class. The twenties saw the growth of consumer values and mass consumption, pleasure outranking work, the rise of the mass media, spectator sports, bitterly fought culture wars and the eclipse of WASP cultural command, the appearance of urban racial ghettos, corporate dominion, and the crushing of short-lived labor power. All these themes persist into the 21st century. Michael Homel is Professor Emeritus of History at Eastern Michigan University. He specializes in 20th century American history and American urban history. He is the author of Unlocking City Hall: Exploring the History of Local Government and Politics, and other publications on urban politics and education.
