Middle-Class Citizens in the 19th and 20th Centuries essays

Middle-Class Citizens in the 19th and 20th Centuries essays Some people rejected the notion that anyone could make it to a higher plateau in social status, but "others aspired to middle-class status" (pg.59). Middle-class citizens were suburban homeowners that held positions like "lawyers, doctors, businessmen, ministers, bank tellers, newspaper editors, and even schoolteachers" (pg.60). The middle-class status was a position of prestige in the late 19th early 20th centuries. Although the fears of the middle-class were not as realistic as those of the poor, they did live with certain fears that were unique to their class. Women lived with the fear that they would not be accepted because of a lack of beauty. Middle-class women were expected to be as beautiful as possible. An ad selling massage cream for skin read "the Pompeian complexion immediately wins the mother, as it does in every other instance in social or business life" (pg.70). Men had cosmetic fear also which was the fear of blood-poisoning from a shaving soap that used animal fat. T hey would only use the highest quality products that would not damage their skin. Also, being that some middle-class men were store owners, they feared their stores being robbed. So, they were well equipped with the firearms needed to drive off any offenders. The family as a whole had fears also. They feared diseases like croup attacking their newborn babies, their young children being bombarded with negative media and other negative influences in general, and having to struggle during old age. They bought products to protect their babies against disease. They bought wholesome magazines, music machines, and bicycles to keep their children (mostly sons) out of reach of bad influences. They also bought insurance policies to ensure their well-being as senior citizens. The values of middle-class citizens were in some ways like those of the rich. Women were housewives in most cases. They did the housework with the latest and greatest improvements in technol...