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Table of Contents
Nye, 238-286, “A Clean, Well-lighted Hearth”
In about 1910, Westinghouse and General Electric dominated the electrical equipment industry (261). However, prior to this date they had been so focused on large companies and large contracts.Smaller domestic contracts were seen at the time as less profitable than those large company contracts. Due to this thought process, they missed out on the domestic market and smaller manufacturers started to “invade” the domestic market. They had no idea that in a few years, other inventors would create their own appliances to avoid the patents that they owned, This is crucial as we see the market really start to shift and the home become more technology friendly. - Haley Denehy
Right from the beginning of Chapter 6, Nye explains how schoolchildren were given a pamphlet desiring “electricity the Silent Servant in the Home.” The modern touches that effected typical house work and helped “Mrs. Modern Women” do her everyday chores. However, it seemed that it was not an effective tool and did not go over well in households, “home is no longer defined by production but by consumption.” People said that due to these inventions, freedom would lack and “cooperate control” would take over. I understand the home was “industrialized before elective light and power”, but these technological advances could m=only make the work easier. Why was it not seen that way? The advertisements in the beginning were also very bland. It did not grab the viewers attention, or make them want to buy. GE made a great decision in changing their advertising approach. – Erika Mabry
Pursell, 116-143
Rachel Maines utilizes a feminist lens to examine social camouflage of sexual massage treatment via electromechanical vibrators, and provides a detailed explanation of female masturbation in relation to novelty sex toys, during the early twentieth century. The author argues that the controversy that arose with this technology was due to a matter of social acceptance, rather than legality. What progressive technologies have been recently released to the public that are unfavorable not due to legality, but rather social acceptability? (-Nate Stringer)