Recent orders
How a Fragmented American Culture and Society Affect Fashion Design, the Fashion Industry, Style and Dress, and Consumer tast
How a Fragmented American Culture and Society Affect Fashion Design, the Fashion Industry, Style and Dress, and Consumer tastes Since the 1990s
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
How a Fragmented American Culture and Society Affected Fashion Design, the Fashion Industry, Style and Dress, and Consumer tastes Since the 1990sThe scope and scale of globalization in the 1990s were unprecedented. Globalization refers to the process by which people, cultures, investments, information, and goods flow across national borders (Foner, 2017). As a result of globalization, culture spread instantaneously across America and other parts of the world. Also, multiculturalism was spread in the 1990s. According to Foner (2017), multiculturalism in America came to denote new awareness concerning a diverse American past and demands that politics, jobs, and education reflect that diversity. Cultural fragmentation was widely spread in the US due to multiculturalism. The idea of cultural fragmentation means the breakdown of single cultures and the emergence of various varied cultures, whether they are linked to specific religions, ethnicities, religions, notions of people groups, or lifestyles, values, or forms of commodification. The US society was also fragmented in the 1990s. Fragmented American society and culture had a significant impact on the fashion industry. This paper discusses how consumer tastes, fashion industry, fashion design, and style and dress since 1990s have been affected by the fragmented American society and culture.
To begin with, the fragmented American society and culture affected style and dress since the 1990s because clothes manufacturers and designers had to produce clothing and accessories that matched the different cultures in the US. For instance, the increased immigration in the US in the 1990s changed the nation’s religious and racial map, and there were many Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists in the US. Foner (2017) reveals that even though the majority of immigrants in the US settled on the East and West Coasts, some relocated to other regions of the nation, bringing racial and cultural diversity to hitherto homogenous communities in the American Midwest. The new immigrants in the US had their preferred fashion designs and styles. They also had the values upheld by their culture in regards to how people should dress. As a result of this, clothes manufacturers and designers had to make the clothing according to the culture of these particular groups as the groups could preserve their culture. For instance, since it is difficult to find Muslim women putting on miniskirts, clothes designers and manufacturers had to start designing and making burqas for Islamic women.
Secondly, the fragmented American society and culture affected the consumer tastes, fashion industry, fashion design, and style and dress since 1990s through the culture wars. Culture wars refer to the battles over the moral values that raged throughout the US in the 1990s (Foner, 2017). For instance, the evangelical Christian Pat Robertson formed the Christian Coalition, which rose to prominence in Republican politics by leading campaigns against gay rights, secularism in public schools, and government support for the arts. At times, it appeared as though the country was rehashing old disputes between traditional religion and contemporary secular culture (Foner, 2017). The culture wars are also characterized by evangelical Christians fighting against the cultures that promote immorality (Foner, 2017). This affected the consumer tastes, fashion industry, fashion design, and style and dress since 1990s as designers and manufacturers strived to design and make decent clothes for the Christians who were against clothes that were too exposing as they considered them a means of promoting immorality.
Furthermore, the fragmented American culture has affected the consumer tastes, fashion industry, fashion design, and style and dress since 1990s by introducing workplace diversity in the companies that manufacture clothes. A diverse workforce is a workforce where there are employees with differences and similarities in terms of their values and beliefs, personal characteristics, backgrounds, and behaviors and preferences. This was achieved as the companies started hiring employees from diverse populations. According to Foner (2017), post-1965, immigration formed the most significant part of the global uprooting of labor arising from globalization. The author further adds that multiculturalism in the US denoted new awareness of a diverse American Past and demands that jobs reflect that diversity. Therefore, the fashion industry hired employees from diverse backgrounds to reflect this diversity. The diverse employees were hired from the significant number of immigrants that moved to the US in the 1990s. Foner (2017) reveals the new immigration in the US as a result of the displacement of labor caused by globalization. The migrants included poor refugees from political and economically affected nations, as well as educated professionals seeking skilled work (Foner, 2017). As companies in the fashion industry hired a more diverse workforce, this affected the fashion styles. This is because the diverse workforce fostered creativity and innovation among employees serving in the companies that manufacture clothes. A diverse workforce led to diverse and new ideas during decision-making and came up with new fashion designs. Also, The educated professionals who moved to the US and sought employment in the fashion industry also led to new fashion designs.
The fragmented American culture and society also affected the customer tastes since the 1990s because of the emergence of values the customers focused on. Notably, the culture in which an individual is born and brought up significantly influences their preference for clothing. People tend to purchase clothes that they are familiar with and at ease with. Since an individual’s preferences and degree of comfort are determined by the innate factors that influence their decision-making and point them in a specific way, a person’s inclination for clothing is greatly influenced by the culture in which they were brought up. Therefore, the fragmented American culture adjusted the customer’s sense of taste and their preferences depending on the acceptable values of their culture. Foner (2017) reveals that racial and cultural diversity in the US has become more apparent as a result of changes in immigration. Prior to the immigration law of 1965, ta significant number of immigrants originated in Europe, but following that year, the immigration landscape drastically changed. Millions of immigrants arrived in the country from the Caribbean and, Latin America, Asia, and a few immigrants were from Africa and the Middle East. Individuals born in America, where most Muslims resided, these individuals were likely to prefer burqas. Also, individuals born into Christian families were likely to prefer decent clothes that did not expose their bodies.
Furthermore, the fragmented American society and consumer tastes, fashion industry, fashion design, and style and dress since 1990s by introducing new fashion designs from the new cultures that were moving into the US. As new immigrants moved into the US, this led to the introduction of new fashion designs through the introduction of new customs, art, and designs. Immigrants from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America all had different fashion designs. Therefore, consumers in the US were likely to change their tastes as influenced by the new immigrants. Consequently, this led the fashion industry to design clothes that most people were interested in.
Overall, globalization in the 1990s was unprecedented. Globalization led to the spread of cultures across America. Consequently, this led to the fragmentation of the American culture, which significantly impacted the consumer tastes, fashion industry, fashion design, and style and dress. Firstly, the fragmented American culture and society affected style and dress since the 1990s because clothes manufacturers and designers had to produce clothing and accessories that matched the different cultures in the US. For instance, the fashion industry had to design and make burqas for Islamic women who do not wear miniskirts. Also, the industry had to design decent clothes for the Christians who were against the culture that promoted morality. Also, the fragmented American society and culture affected consumer tastes, fashion industry, fashion design, and style and dress since 1990s through the culture wars. The evangelical Christians were fighting against the modern secular culture that they considered to be a culture that promoted immorality. As Christians stood up against a culture that promoted immorality, the fashion industry had to design and make more decent outfits. Also, the fragmented American culture has affected the fashion industry since the 1990s by introducing workplace diversity in the fashion industry. As employees from diverse backgrounds were recruited in the fashion industry, this led to creativity and innovativeness due to new ideas from the diverse population. The diverse workforce also included professional employees who brought in more innovative ideas. Additionally, the fragmented American culture and society have affected customer tastes since the 1990s because of the emergence of values the customers focused on. Since people tend to purchase clothes that they are familiar and at ease with, the fashion industry had to make outfits of different designs to meet the needs of the different people. Also, consumer preferences were influenced by the fashion designs and styles of the new cultures. To adjust to the market demand, the fashion industry designed and made clothes of the designs that were in high demand. Lastly, new cultures also introduced new customs, arts, and designs that the US fashion industry emulated. Thus, there is sufficient evidence to showcase the fragmented American society and culture significantly impacted the consumer tastes, fashion industry, fashion design, and style and dress since 1990s.
References
Foner, E. (2017). Give Me Liberty! An American History: One Volume. WW Norton & Company.
Aspects of African Culture
Name
Instructor
Subject
Date
Aspects of African Culture
In her book “The Last Camel: the stories of Somalia,” Jeanne D’Haem explores how culture influences the way people see the world. In chapter 24, “The Promise,” Jeanne explores how Somali women view the world. As the character in this chapter highlights, Somali women see the world through their experiences. For instance, it is not uncommon for Somali women to enter arranged marriages. Arranged marriages are a form of cultural practice, and they are widely used among the Somali people. While the girls expected to get married through this means may not be happy, the experiences of the married women around them show that couples in arranged marriages can learn to love each other. Positive experiences of women married through this cultural practice encourage Somali girls to accept this form of marriage (D’Haem, 116). Elders plan arranged marriages, and it is expected that younger generations respect and obey their elders. While arranged marriages can have positive outcomes, the act of infibulation is a harmful cultural practice. As highlighted in the story, older women in Somalia are not opposed to this practice, a factor that endangers the lives of girls (D’Haem, 117).
The interpretation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet by the Tiv of West Africa shows how culture influences what is viewed as right or wrong. As Laura Bohannan tells the elders of this tribe the story of Hamlet, it is apparent that her view on the story is different from the elders’ views. For instance, the elders showed disbelief that a child could scold their parent, a parent could lie to their child, and a child could turn against their parent or guardian. These points indicate a cultural hierarchy system in which younger individuals obey their elders (Bohannon, 299). The points also reveal how close-knit family members are in the Tiv culture hence the disbelief that relatives could turn against each other.
Prince Hamlet in Africa and The Last Camel: the stories of Somalia reveal the respect accorded to elders in African cultures. Based on the readings, African cultures place great importance on one’s age, with elders in the society being shown respect and obedience by younger individuals (Idang, 117). The readings also show the importance of family relations in African cultures. Much like the required respect for elders, African cultures place great importance on family ties and each family member’s duties. For instance, both readings show the expectation that parents cannot lie to their children while children cannot rise against their parents.
Modern-day culture excludes people as they age. General attitudes toward older people are often negative, and it is caused by the justification of devaluing older based on the premise of age. However, the African culture is different as it values its elderly and accords them respect. As highlighted in Prince Hamlet in Africa, the elderly can teach people a lot as they have lived longer and have life experiences. The wisdom and knowledge that they can share can help people better deal with various forms of life challenges. All people grow older with time. Therefore, it is only natural that society learns to respect and take care of its elderly as everyone is bound to get to that stage.
Works Cited
Bohannon, Laura. “Prince Hamlet in Africa.” (1970): 293-299.
D’Haem, Jeanne. “The Last Camel: True Stories about Somalia.” Red Sea Press, (1997): 116-118.
Idang, Gabriel E. “African culture and values.” Phronimon 16.2 (2015): 97-111.
Asians and their view of the health care system
Asians and their view of the health care system
Student’s name
Instructor
Department of affiliation
Course
Date
Asians and their view of the health care system
The presence of Asians in American society has always been of great interest to me. This is because relating to my situation of being a black American the Asians are the other group I can closely identify without when it comes to issues of inhumane treatment and how this makes it difficult for these two groups to advance and continue in their pursuit of social justice. The social injustice which can be called systemic as it is within the system is viewed as to run even to the most core aspects of our society which includes the healthcare system. This is according to Zhang Joyce who is one of my Asian friends and the one whom I interviewed about her understanding and her views about the healthcare system within the American population and how this directly relates to the population of Asian Americans (Frazier, 2010).
She describes her culture as one which is very important to their lives. Even though at different times different people have tried to water the culture due to the modernization and other issues which have risen some fragment of the Asian population has remained loyal to its true self and has not changed the basic norms, principles, and ways of living. The Asians arrived in the United States of America in the year 1850s and forward whereby the young Asian men were contracted for labor from the south of China. Therefore they played a very big role in the building and making of America what is if today. However, with all these efforts and works of the Asian people, the whites in America still view the Asians as people of lower class and those who should not enjoy the same amount of social amenities like the healthcare which is available within this system (Asian Americans Then and Now, 2019).
Zhang’s view of healthcare is seen as one which is not positive towards the Asian population. This is because the Asian population within the American society are never treated fairly and therefore she states that whenever she goes to look for medical care when she’s is sick or in need of consultation she is always looked at with a funny look and therefore this makes her feel bad and this is a sign that even when she meets a doctor who is a white she will not be able to get the quality care and protection which she would have got if she got an Asian doctor or at least a black one. Therefore her view of healthcare is healthcare that is just meant for the whites and therefore it is very difficult for Asians to interact very well with the healthcare system due to its segregative. They have to face a new and different world with new people and different kinds of people. Therefore when receiving their treatment there is always an emphasis on upholding and respecting their religious beliefs as this is a very essential part of their being. They are also in need of proper communication, privacy and good nutrition just like any other person who is being treated would need. The Asians also value community life and their families very much according to Zhang and therefore it is very difficult for them to just stay in the hospital without anyone visiting due to lack of communication therefore it is considered a very important aspect when a person communicates whatever has happened to them like an accident for some people to go and check on this person since he/ she may need their help at one point of the other.
How Zhang perceives that people in his culture are treated is that she believes that they are never treated equally. Therefore this is a clear indication of what it means to have a slightly different color from the color of white people.
To some extent, therefore, in conclusion, there can be other methods of making sure that the anti-racism ends and making sure that the course one is fighting for does not evade or erode and only be left with what is not necessary. And this case in this context is the equality to be realized when it comes to black, whites, and Asians. Therefore Zhang is a very important part and contributor towards the development of this research.
References
Asian Americans Then and Now. (2019). Asia Society. https://asiasociety.org/education/asian-americans-then-and-nowFrazier, J. W. (2010). Asians in America: some historical and contemporary patterns. Multicultural Geographies: The Changing Racial/Ethnic Patterns of the United States, State University of New York Press, Albany, 79-99.
Prashad, V. (2012). Uncle Swami: South Asians in America Today. New Press, The.