This is your chance to conduct an oral history interview and compare it with the time period that we're studying in Europe. Between 1760 and 1850, Britain saw unparalleled economic growth with new technologies, expanded business opportunities, and improved transportation and communication. Men accumulated vast fortunes yet thousands upon thousands went hungry and lived in abysmally awful conditions. The poor were left to struggle for survival and either fight to live or die. Thinkers like Malthus and Ricardo discouraged handouts b/c - as they thought - the handouts would artificially give the poor a helping hand in the survival of the fittest. New religions even emerged to focus workers' anger and energy on the after life and doing good deeds in the present - the message being that you can't change your situation, so make peace with it. Your reward will come later.
America had its own Industrial Revolution, first between 1800 - 1850, and then again, a massive explosion after the Civil War in which the U.S. surpassed all other industrialized nations in the output of manufactured goods (1865-1900). Similar things happened: workers attempted to unionize on a large scale but failed; large numbers of workers flocked to cities and lived in overcrowded tenements; and the U.S. had their own version of Malthus and Ricardo in an aptly named concept called social Darwinism.
In the 20th Century, only the World Wars interrupted the flow of industrial and technological progress. For instance, my grandmother, born in 1911 only a few years after the Wright Brothers had perfected the plane, could now fly around the world at the end of the century. Also at the end of the century, all homes had central plumbing and heating, electricity and phones - luxuries that only the wealthy could afford in 1911. In 2000, cell phones were popular and cheap. You could send an image on a piece of paper from one part of the world to the other with just a phone call instead of using the slower mail. Media had also changed. Instead of just getting the news from the newspaper, you could get it online, on the radio and on the TV.
Your question:
How has 1. technology, 2. jobs and economy, 3. religion, 4. entertainment, 5. politics, 6. news media, 7. communications and 8. travel changed since your interviewee was young (or about your age)?
Your entry should be around 200 words ( 50 words per choice b/c you're required to pick a minimum of 4 of the 8 topics to write about for your blog post) and will be due Tuesday, Dec. 15th.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
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Many things have changed since my parents were young or about my age. (14) First technology has changed tremendously. When my parents were in school, they didn’t have personal computers. In fact, computers were just starting to be the next big thing. Huge computers took up office buildings. People thought we would never need any more computing power than that. Now, all that is out of date and that much computing power or more can be found on your cell phone or your Gameboy.. My parents thought they were so cool carrying personal computers that weighed about 100 pounds, used floppy disks, and dial up service. Now we’re all connected to the internet, and doing our homework by computer just as a routine. Additionally, my parents typed papers on manual typewriters, no word processing, and certainly no blogging. Only the lucky people had electric typewriters. My mom wasn’t even allowed to use a calculator in Physics class, even though they existed. She had to learn on a slide rule, because everyone thought it would be important to know how to use it.
Communications have changed about equally as profoundly. Phones were only landlines. In fact in the country, some people didn’t even have their own phones. They shared a phone line with neighbors and it was called a party line. You had to use an operator to make a call. There were no cell phones, no e-mail. Pagers were state of the art. Only the really important people had “bag phones” which were cell phones that weighed about 20 pounds. Also calling overseas was a big deal and very expensive.
Travel methods probably haven’t changed as much. There were always trains, planes, and boats. Cars have become more improved. But, travel has changed a lot and it’s easier for everyone to access. In my parents early working days, a trip to Europe was at least a week or two long and was a big deal. Now, my dad travels all over the world. Europe is a two-day trip.
Entertainment has really changed a lot, too. Have you ever watched a movie from the 1950s or 60s? First look at the quality and the picture. There was no such thing as High Definition or flat screens. No DVDs or live streaming of movies. In fact, my parents didn’t have a color tv growing up. Other forms of entertainment that didn’t exist were ipods, MTV, and video games.
Laura S
3rd Hour
Question: How has 1. technology, 2. jobs and economy, 3. religion, 4. entertainment, 5. politics, 6. news media, 7. communications and 8. travel changed since your interviewee was young (or about your age)?
Technology in the early 70’s were television, 8 track players, and record players. Instead of computers for business or school as a resource tool and writing tool, like today, everything was done on paper. Also research was done in encyclopedias. Today there is ipods, which stores over thousands of songs opposed to in the 70’s having to house 7,000 records which is impossible to store. There are computers for research and storage of information. For example, instead of going to the library and using books as your only resource, you can look up whatever you need on a computer. Instead of using a file cabinet to store files, you can store all of those documents on a computer and retrieve information searching what you saved with a touch of a keyboard.
The economy was the same as it was today in regards to a recession. In the 70’s, you did not necessarily need a collage education to get hired into positions today that need a college degree. Also the media was not so relevant in our lives as today you have 24 hour news. The negative affect of the media constantly telling you that there are no jobs and stunting a person’s ambition to look for employment didn’t exist in the 70’s.
Religion was much more prevalent in people’s lives. In school, our winter break was a Christmas break, and our spring break was our Christmas break. The majority of people participated in there particular religions because there parents brought them up going to church, temple etc and the minority didn’t participate in a religion. Today the majority of people don’t feel that it is as important to go to church or temple etc and the minority do.
Entertainment in the 70’s was TV with minimum channels. For example, ABC,CBS, NBC, and PBS. Today there is cable, satellite etc with hundreds of channels and choices. You could only see movies only in a movie theatre to today you can see them in a hotel room, telephone, room, portable gaming device etc. You can also see live music, concerts, and download music.
Politics went from a democracy for the people, by the people and somewhat semi corporate fascism to corporate fascism for the corporation by the corporation. In the 70’s they were building civil right, today they are dismantling civil rights one liberty at a time.
News media, TV stations, radio stations, and newspapers were privately and independently owned and operated. Today they are owned and operated by multi national corporations and are no longer have an independent voice.
Communications went from a phone that you dialed, fax machines and letters that were written and sent. Today there are cell phones no pay phones. Instead of writing and mailing a letter, you can Email, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, and text message in both business and personal.
Travel back in the 70’s has changed somewhat in terms of security., In the 70’s, you could go to the airport and board with minimum security and basically no ID. Today you have to go through extensive security. You have to have identification, a passport etc, and go through metal detectors etc.
When my mother was my age she lived in Sri Lanka. The things they had in Sri Lanka is very different from the things they had in the U.S. when my mom was young. The types of roads have improved, the roads used to be gravel and dirt roads. Every time it rained, the roads would get muddy and people could not go on the roads. When my mother was my age, she got around to places using the city bus or she walked. Now almost every road you see is paved and made out of tar, there are now high speed trains, There also many 3 wheelers used as taxis, they are small and can get to a lot of places. It is also a cheap way to travel in the country.
Communication-When my mother was little, she wrote mail, they also had telegrams then so they could people could informed about things quicker. In Sri Lanka, there were many people who spoke Sinhala, and now there are just as many people who speak Tamil. The second language in Sri Lanka is not English. Nowadays, almost every house has telephones and they communication easily. Since my mom lives in the U.S. now, communication through email is another way of communication for her.
News media-When my mom was young, it wasn’t right to criticize political figures but now, it is done widely. The news could be found in the Newspaper, and the TV. Not many people had TVs back then, but now almost very house has a TV and there are channels that have news on 24/7
Jobs and economy-There are now more jobs available for women, when my mom was young, most jobs were occupied by men, now days, many women do the same jobs men do. Even one of the recent presidents in Sri Lanka was a woman. In the U.S.,After my mom came here, she saw that it was much different from how it was back in Sri Lanka
Even though my mom grew up in Sri Lanka most of her life, she has seen many differences in the way Sri Lanka and the U.S. has changed. But one thing for sure is that travel, news media, communication, and jobs and economy have changed since she was young.
---Jithmi
Hour1
The person I interviewed was my dad. He was born in 1953, so lots of things have changed since he was my age, in 1967.
Technology has changed in many ways since the 60’s. Back then, internet, cell phones, and computers weren’t available. Now, you can get all of those things, sometimes at once on your phone. Communication is instantly available now, where it wasn’t back then. If my dad wanted to look up something, he’d have to go to the library and find the book. I can just look it up online. There’s more direct communication now as well. We have Facebook, text messaging, and cell phones to talk to people. My dad always had to call his friends on the dial phone.
Religion has also changed, but not as much as technology. We’re catholic, so my dad remembers all the changes the church underwent. They stopped saying mass in Latin, and they allowed you to eat meat on Fridays. General attitude to other religions is about the same. People all were treated alike.
It’s easier to travel now then before. There’s more airlines going to more places. Usually, travel in 1967 was restricted to busses, cars, and trains. There were less airports and it was cheaper to drive. Gas was about 25 cents per gallon. My dad grew up in Wilmette, so he was close to Chicago. Getting to the city center was easy. You just hopped on the El train (elevated train), and waited. You could get into the city in about 30 minutes. Now the trains stop at every station, so it takes an hour or more.
Politics was much different. It was more remote, and politicians weren’t on TV all the time. During this time, the Vietnam War was going on, and media coverage made it very unpopular with the people. This forced President Johnson not to run again, and it caused people to trust the government less.
Lots of things have changed since 1967. In some ways, progress was worse, and in some ways it was better.
Larry Geist
3rd Hour.
Andrea Kelly 3rd hour
Technology: When my dad was my age there were only two computers in the school for student use. He said he never touched a computer in high school. Today we two student computers in every classroom, not to mention numerous computer labs for student use. He said that handheld calculators were rare because they cost about $100.
Entertainment: When my dad was a freshman in high school, if you wanted to see a movie you had to go to the movies. Now, you can go to the library, video rental stores, stores like target, even grocery stores have movies to purchase. The way to listen to music was either records or radio until eight track tapes came out. They revolutionized music for my dad because it allowed for the user to listen to the music of their choice in the car.
Religion: Since my dad had been alive, religion has been relatively stable with the exception of extremist groups. When he was growing up, extremist religions didn’t have an impact on US life. Now we have groups such as polygamists, Army of God, and Christian Identity. But, religion as a whole has not seen significant changes since my dad’s childhood.
Communication: Unlike religion, communication since my dad’s time has changed immeasurably. Cellular phones are the most notable difference. The closest things to cell phones in my dad’s time were car phones. They were only seen in really wealthy people’s cars because they were so costly. Now a day’s most everyone has a cell phone because you can get them for such low prices.
I interviewed both of my parents.
Technology: There were no computers when my parents grew up in high school. They used typewriters and had typing class. Their first cell phone was in their early 20s. It was huge, it was in a duffle bag and the battery was huge. They had to go to a library to do research through books and microfiche.
Transportation: They said that it has not been a huge change. Cars are pretty much the same but there were never any GPS systems. Air travel was a very “fancy” experience and everyone used to dress up to travel. There are many more regulations due to security now compared to prior years on planes and in airports.
Jobs and the Economy: They’ve never lived through a depression or recession before now. Jobs are more office and computer based now and people are more readily available due to the technology boom. There is much higher unemployment and fewer jobs available now compared to when they were younger. The economy has slowed tremendously.
Communication: They used to communicate by way of home telephone and by letters. People were not easily and readily reachable. Now, most people are readily available. They quickly communicate with people almost any time they want. Everyone has phones and cell phones. E-mail has replaced letters. Sites like Facebook and chat rooms make communication easy with several people at once in any state or country.
Entertainment: TV is much different. Their TV’s had only three main channels and no remote control. Movies on TV were rare. After late night, there were no shows at all. We had no VCR, DVD’s, etc. Now, TV’s are digital and have high-definition with 100s of channels and movies available 24 hours per day. Music was primarily on the radio or on records. iPods and MP3 players did not exist so music was not as mobile.
Nicholas Kizy
1st Hour
I decided to interview my mom. My mom said that technology has changed because they didn't have Ipods or cell phones, laptops, for homework you would have to go to the library instead of just going on the computer and searching the internet. Everything now is changing to High Definition and getting more advanced. People didn't travel as much as they do know because it was more expensive. Traveling has also become more complicated because the lines at the airports take longer and there are certain things you can and cant pack. Gas prices have gone up so traveling long distance in a car is more costly. That is all she had to say about travel. The economy was better when my mom was a child it flourished but now since the economy has changed so drastically unemployment is at an all time high. People can’t find jobs and pay their bills, people are being evicted from their houses, as well as houses foreclosing and companies going out of business. Entertainment has changed as well and has become a lot more sexually and verbally explicit. Not only that but it’s a much more competitive business then it used to be, as well as a lot of one hit wonders. Years ago you had to be a singer for a while to become actually famous but some people now become famous just over night. That’s what my mom had to say about these topics and how they have changed since she was my age.
Elliott Wolf
1st hour
12/13/09
Emily A.
1st Period
World Hist. & Geography B
Mr. Wickersham
Interviewee: My Dad
Technology: "Battery technology has improved dramatically in the course of my life. The lithium ion batteries seem like a miracle to me. They hold so much energy, can be recharged, and are tiny. A Walkman would have been impossible with the battery technology they had when I was a kid--much less an iPod."
Jobs + Economy:
“When I was really young, we had the first big economic boom following World War II. But the economy slowed down when I was in high school and interest rates and inflation went through the roof. The economy is slow now but interest rates are generally low. When things slowed down when I was younger people always believed they were cyclical (up and down) but today it’s not clear that there will be a rebound. People would work at one company for their whole life, which is unheard of now.”
Religion:
“When I was young, the Catholic church was engaged in a process called Vatican II which led toward more liberal theology and practice. Subsequently, conservative views have advanced in both the Catholic church and the rest of the church, especially since the rise of Pope John Paul II and President Ronald Reagan. In the past, people who were religious were very serious about it, but now faith in America seems a mile wide and an inch deep.”
Politics:
“When I was a kid, most people I knew believed in America and its government. But the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, along with Vietnam and Watergate caused many of us to become much more skeptical. The rise of Barack Obama taps into the sense of hope and aspiration that preceded these events, and hopefully he’ll keep that going.”
“In the 1940s in Macon, Georgia growing up was not easy, but it was well worth it” says my 86-year-old grandmother. First off a big difference was how people communicated. If you wanted your best friend to come over or if you wanted to go out on a date with someone you couldn’t text them and say “hey what’s up?” you would have to go call them from your home phone. Not everyone in that day and age had a house phone though so if you really needed to talk to someone you would have to go and ask your neighbor if you could borrow their phone. If all else fails desperate time calls for desperate measure you would have to either wait to see that person at school/work the next day or actually walk to their house to see if they were home, tragic.
For entertainment my grandma and her friends had a lot of parties. They would normally take place in her backyard or her friend’s backyard. They would listen to record players for music that they would dance to. The only downside to that was if you were of African-American descent and you had a very close friend of Caucasian descent you were not allowed to go to their houses or parties. In the springtime they would hang out at their city’s playground. Every year there was a May festival held in the city’s auditorium, that was as big as the silver dome, and there was a play also. Segregation was still at its peak, but there were changes going on everyday that would change life as she had known it.
Nowadays when you go to school in the morning the bell rings and you begin to learn about math and science, but back then they started off their day with morning devotions. The strange part was my grandma didn’t attend a private school she went to public schools. Back then no matter what religion you practiced you still had to learn about the Christian bible like you would an English or Social Studies class. Every Christmas they would have a play dedicated to the meaning of Christmas. This was of course before the government made it basically illegal to promote a certain religion in public schools.
To find out information on Tiger Wood’s life today we would just press that on button on your computer, wait for it to load up, go to yahoo.com, and type in Tiger Woods Scandal. Back then you would sit down with your family and crowd around your radio to listen to the news or listen to your favorite soap opera. My grandma and her family would listen to the president’s speech every time it came on. One of the biggest reports my grandma could remember was when President Franklin D. Roosevelt died. When you think about it Roosevelt and Woods weren’t that different, they both had affairs, and one scandal was just blown up more than the other.
My grandma has seen many things that she never thought or imagined she would ever see in her life time and knows there will be more many more to come. The ironic part is that a person of color doing anything in a political office was unheard of back then unless they were cleaning or cooking something, and wouldn’t you know it a man of color is running the world.
Lauren Johnson
1st hour
Since my mom was young, religion has changed a lot. Christianity used to be the most common religion in this area, but now it is much more diverse. Religion used to come before many other things and there wasn’t school on any holiday or important religious days, even days like Good Friday. Technology has also changed. When my mom was my age, there were no computers or cell phones, not even cordless phones. She had to use a typewriter, and hers wasn’t even electric. My mom said she was the only one she knew with a television remote, and only because her dad knew someone that worked for a company that made them. There weren’t even microwaves. The lack of computers also changed news media. Newspapers and magazines were relied on much more when my mom was younger because there wasn’t another good way to access news. Nearly everyone read the newspaper everyday. I barely ever read the newspaper. Now, all the news is online so newspapers aren’t needed as much. Entertainment has changed a lot too. According to my mom, TV shows were a lot more modest when she was my age. George Carlin’s “7 Words You Can’t Say on Television” actually weren’t said on TV, where as now some of them are. There was no Internet, so no YouTube or re-runs of shows online. If you wanted to watch a show, you had to watch it on regular TV. People used records to listen to music, not iPods. Things have changed a lot since my mom was my age.
Lizzie Davidson
3rd Hour
Alesha Lewis
History/1
12-8-09
Collaborative Blog
When my father, Adolph Lewis, was 21, a lot was different then it is in present day. Technology was not iPod, cds, or mp3players. They were ancient dinosaurs named the cassette tape used to play music. Believe it or not they had cable back then! And they had VHS tapes that are like our past DVDs. (R.I.P VHS tapes). Jobs were scarce back then, but a popular job back then was working in the auto industry. Also, the economy was ok. And only 20,000 people had access to the internet. A big part of Entertainment was music, quote “Great! Had a meaning to it back then.” says my dad. Music didn’t have a lot of cursing, quote “People respected themselves” end quote. And martial arts movies were popular, and going to the theater. Transportation in Detroit was no subways. (Just like today!) But there were some in the U.S. Cars and gas were a lot cheaper. You could get a car for about four or five thousand dollars! The cars were eight cylinder cars, and were just getting into six cylinders cars. But today six and four cylinder cars are popular. Communication was not even half advanced like they are today. Cell phones were just being made, and they had no wire less house phone, so you had to sit in one spot to use the phone, and they had no answer machines. Even in 1980 on the news and Media they were talking about global warming! Also Reagan is elected president. And what were “in style” were big afros, bell bottoms pants.
Technology
-Growing up in the 60-80s, the television was the primary form of technology used. There were 3 channels to choose from. Typing was used for writing papers in school, but mostly everything was written by hand. Computers weren’t assessable to just anyone. They were large, complicated and too technical for the average person to use effectively. My mother’s first computer class was when she was a senior in high school. In the medical fields, if you needed lab tests done, it’d take weeks to get back because everything was done in the mail. Nowadays, computers are used throughout all of your school years. Our advancement in medical sciences keeps things efficient and quick. We rely on technology for most things.
Communication
-In the 70s, people communicated face-to-face or through letters. There was a home phone and no cell phone. Internet wasn’t even created yet. We now have created touch screen cells phones that allow you to communicate with anyone, anywhere, at any time. Internet is a major form of communication for everyone now.
Entertainment
-During summers, kids left the house after breakfast and didn’t come home until dinner. There was a lot of unsupervised adventures, and entertaining yourself. We now could stay inside all day, every day , and still be completely entertained with TVs, Computers, phones, mp3 players, and much more. Parental supervision is mandatory now.
Travel
-Trips were yearly vacations up north. Nowadays, some people are traveling around the world weekly. Most kids have been out of the country once in their lives so far. They had cars back then, but there weren’t as nearly advanced as they are now.
How has technology changed, jobs and economy, and politics and news media changed since you were young? (ask some over the age of 30 + yr's) so i asked my dad
Technology changed because now days we have robots/ computers to do manual labor instead of people.
Politics never changed and is not changing, the people are just changing.
News and media changed because today news media tell a story for ratings, there is no respect for journalism, any stupid story would sell. (ex: The Tiger Woods story) News and media has lost value.
Back then people had to do all the work, we did not have Blackberry's to do the easy work for us.
The people in Politics are not the same, they want more conservatism and less honesty.
News and media does not tell us the things we need to know but rather the things they want us to know.
~K'Breana Coleman
~Reanna Kathawa,3rd hour
Blog #8: Adult Interview
For this interview, I asked my mother questions about changes in technology, transportation, communication, religion, and politics.
Since I was 14…
Technology: technology has advanced greatly, especially in computers. Computers have more features added to them, and they have invented personal computers (laptops). Computers are faster as well. Also, there have been advances in TVs. They have gotten bigger, and more channels have been added to them as well. In video games, they have made so many more, and they have become more complex. There are many new systems as well, including the Wii, which has wireless controllers and allows you to move around.
Transportation: transportation hasn’t advanced too much. GPS devices have been invented, and they put CD players in too. Also, they make some cars “greener” now, so they use less gas and don’t pollute as much too.
Communication: has advanced in a huge way. There are a lot more ways of communicating now. Cell phones were around when I was little, but they have advanced. They have gotten smaller, more complex, and have mannnnnnnnnnnny more features added to them, such as texting, cameras, and internet connection. Email has been invented, as well as the Internet, where you can use sites like facebook and myspace to talk as well.
Religion: things haven’t changed much with religion. There are more atheists now, and people have become closer to their religions as well. But nothing more than that.
Politics: politics have become more “diverse”. There is a black president, and there are more women involved as well. More technology is being used in the white house as well.
My mom says that when she was 14, technology was thought to be pretty advanced at the time. But, only large companies had computers and calculators were a big deal. Only rich people had electronic garage door openers. Windows in a car had to be rolled down with a handle.
As for jobs, times were good. You didn’t need a college degree, and most people stayed at their jobs for thirty years. Nowadays, people change jobs all the time. Most people worked for the auto industry, which was thriving in Detroit. People saved their money for the future a lot more than they do now.
Newspapers, radio, and local TV news broadcasts were the primary sources of news. Only journalists reported the news. Today, there are thousands of sites online that post news. But, it’s hard to know what to believe. The news media was very powerful and influential back then.
Communicating was not as easy as it is today. There were no cell phones or email. Only regular home phones and U.S. mail were the ways to communicate. This was one area that really needed improvement. People used to talk about someday having a “personal” phone. Cell phones changed everything, and mostly for the better.
Austin Lessnau
1st hour
Emily Honet
1st hour
When my interviewee was young, technology was very different. Cell phones and remote controls didn't exist, and although there was the radio and television, both had few stations. Computer didn't exist when my interviewee was young and when he finally did get his first computer in college, it took up to 10 minutes to turn it on. During the time when my interviewee was young, the fax machine was considered "magic" because it could send things to other places quickly. In medicine, many medical advancements that exist today, weren't around. Treatment took longer and information was less clear.
Communications were also different. The mail system took longer and companies like FedEx weren't around. There was less immediate communication so it could take days to get in touch with someone. When it came to hearing about news, there were only three news networks on television, so it was harder to hear about news.
Forms of transportation were the same as they were today but they were less safe and advanced. In cars, there were no airbags or antilock brakes and seat belts weren't required. Public transportation like planes also allowed smoking unlike today. Even though transportation was different, it did the same thing that it does today; it took you from point A to point B.
Entertainment today is very different than it was when my interviewee was young. There were limited television and radio stations so there was limited entertainment. Music was also limited. Since there were no ipods or mp3 players, the only way to listen to music was the radio or by buying a record player or cassettes. Overall, there was very limited entertainment and there were few ways to listen or see entertainment.
I interviewed my father, David Schwartz. When asked about how technology has changed since he was a teenager, he replied by saying the following:
“When I was a teenager there were no computers and of course no internet. There were no cell phones, digital cameras, no cable or satellite Television, and also no I-Pods or MP3 players. Since then, there has been a huge advance in technology. Things are more high-tech and require much more knowledge. These technologies have made us as people more efficient.”
How has communication changed since you were a teen?:
“Cell phones and the internet are the biggest advances since i was a teen. Since we didn’t have cell phones, the only way we could communicate when we were outside the house was by pay phone or a phone booth. Now, you can be at home and communicate digitally be E-Mail or texting. You can communicate by not even talking! As far as postal mail, it is virtually non-existent due to E-mail. People get much more news from the internet than from broadcast news, unlike when I was a kid.”
How have politics changed since you were a teenager?
“The major difference nowadays, is how politicians and candidates get their message out to the public. They use things like Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, blogs, and personal websites, where when I was a teenager they didn’t have any of those resources. Those are really the main differences. Everything else for the most part hasn’t changed.”
How have Jobs and the Economy changed since you teen years?
The economy has always been cyclical, but we are now in the middle of the worst recession since the Great Depression. In Michigan, we have lost millions of manufacturing jobs. The big 3 auto companies were at their peak when I was a teen, and now they are at their lowest level in history. So in conclusion, there has been some dramatic changes since I was a teenager.”
Brett Schwartz__________1st Hour
Malik Banks
4th
blog #8
I interviewed my grand mother
Transportation
Transportation has come a long way since the 1950s. Back then they had horse carriages which were the main transportation back then. Then came busses which were pretty big back then. In the 60s cars came about and became really popular even though a lot of people back then could not afford them. People who had cars drove others around. As the economy changed cars became more complex. As the years changed cars became more and more advanced with all the different technology like hybrids and navigation systems.
Technology
Technology has come a long way .The only communication being by mail. The landline phone came a little later; they were rare to have because they were extremely huge. Then the cell phones came which were also really big. Computers and music players came next and they were a big hit. Then all the things we have now like texting, e-mail, and instant messages, and now windows 7.
Entertainments
There first source of entertainment was the radio. Most things came on the radio. Then the black and white TV, but it only came with a couple of channels. After TVs movie theaters became big. Then comes what we have now with the iPods and the flat TVs.
Politics
Politics have change since the 50s. Back then there were mostly republicans in the white house. Now a historic change had happened by the first African American president being elected.
How life has changed since my mom was in school.
-Technology: How technology has changed is that she used to have an electric typewriter. When u made a mistake, you would put a white thin peace of correction tape in. So typing was much different than it is now. Also they didn’t have cell phones so they could not call or text anyone at all when they went out.
-Jobs and Economy: All children in high school got jobs because it was fun. You earned your own money to spend, and it was always enough. You would ride your bike to work and every where you went. Every dollar you saved went a long way. Candy was only a penny and when you went to the movies it was only $3.50. So prices for things were a lot less then they are now.
-Religion: Nowadays religion is way more relaxed. (150) Growing up jeans and tennis shoes to church were not allowed. CCD classes were expected to taken until 12th grade. Prayer was very important
By: Kaitlin Aubrey 3rd hour
Ryan Stratton
1st Hour
For my collaborative blog, I interviewed my mother. She just turned 47 in August and had quite a lot to say on the topics of communication, technology, jobs and economy, and entertainment.
When my mother was younger, there were no cell phones. Instead, every household had few home phones that the entire family shared. Also, there was no text messaging or email. What this means is that communication was not instantaneous. If I had lived in my mother’s time, any small reminder or message I could easily have been texted now had to be physically told.
The technology is also much more advanced now. At my mother’s school, there were no computers. All school assignments were to be written longhand or typed on a typewriter. When researching information, all information was found in books; internet was non-existent.
The economy has dramatically changed in my mother’s lifetime as well. When my mother graduated from college, it was not uncommon for most everyone graduating college with good marks to find a job in their field relatively quickly. Manufacturing was also a huge industry in the United States.
My mother has also noticed that in the years that she has been on this earth, the level of censorship in movies and on television has lowered substantially. Also, people aren’t as scared as they used to be in movies. Anything is now possible in the visual effects world, so less is shot practically in order to save time and money.
My dad was born in 1954 and from what he told me a lot has changed since then.
He told me that when he was young the technology was very bad like there were no computer ( or they were the size of an office building) and up until high school people didn’t have pocket calculators and they were very expensive. Also it is now a lot easier to get access to things on line like you can just go online and look something up on Google.
Another thing that has changed is transportation. Back then a lot of cars didn’t have seat belts and if they did most people didn’t use them. Cars now all must have seat belts and it is that law to use them and they are also much safer, efficient, and reliable than they used to be. While my dad was my age he also got to experience the first moon landing while in my life there hasn’t been a moon landing. Another thing is that airplanes are more common and people used to get all dressed up nice to fly on an airplane but now it is just a very common thing.
When my dad was my age the workplace was very stable, it was fairly easy to get a job, and people didn’t get fired hardly at all and if you did it was a disgrace and people though something was wrong with you. No though, the workplace is very unstable it is hard to get a job and if you do you have to keep learning all this new technology and skill and people are getting laid off all over the place.
One last thing that has changed since 1954 is the cell phone. The cell phones back then weren't as much cell phone as they were a phone in a bag. They were very heavy and a hassle to lug around everywhere with you.
-Eli Jensen
1. Technology has changed by being more efficient than before by producing better quality things. The Creation of the internet advanced everything including ads, businesses, entertainment, communication and countless other things. Technology is more efficient by creating a better method of using less energy, but more production. Electricity has made most things pollution free.
2. Also in entertainment, computers and Television has advanced because before computers, they had to use typewriters to type their papers and couldn’t automatically edit it. Television has changed from soundless black and white picture to colorful and loud throughout the years Also in show businesses like movies and plays the special effects have been added by computer technology.
3. Communication is different from when they were young because when they were young, cell phones were brand new and were very expensive. The phones were very big compared to now. Today almost everyone has smaller cell phones at a lower price. Communication has come a far way from using a telegraph, to radio, to cell phones.
4. An example of advancement of travel is the Smart car because it has better miles per gallon than most cars. After finding about global warming, most companies started to create more fuel efficient cars. Also the technology inside the cars has been added to help, like G.P.S and emergency call, and blue tooth so drivers are safer.
-Eric Chan
Sierra Barnes
3rd hour
1.Travel
When my mom was my age (14) she and her mom dad and sister would take these road trips because it was cheaper and way more fun as she puts it. At the air port it used to be that you could walk all the way to the point where the plane is but now unless you have a ticket you cant get passed the security. Also with flying things used to be free like the headsets the food basically anything extra that you get with flying but now you have to pay for all that stuff.
2.Tecnology
Internet wasn’t invented until my mom was in high school so she actually had to go to the library and research her homework. They even had a class on how to find things in the library. Beepers were also new and if you had one you would be very popular they were a big deal.
3.Communication
Instead of texting someone for a quick answer or just to say hi you could have to call them on their house phone and if you didn’t have one you would have to ask your neighbour to use theirs our just go to their house. Now a days communicating is not really face to face anymore.
4.Religion
Religion has changed because back when you went to church you had to dress up in your best clothes and things. Some people still do that but now its more just come in what ever you feel like its way more casual then it used to be you could wear what ever you want now.
Since my dad was younger, computers have gotten smaller and more powerful. Technology has gone from desktops to laptops to handheld devices. A major factor in how technology has changed is wireless networking. You can go almost anywhere in the country and access the internet nowadays. Another major change is the emergence of high definition, improved sound, and digital camera technology.
The biggest change in the job market since my dad was younger is the lack of manufacturing jobs. When he was younger, it was possible for someone to graduate from high school, get a job from an auto manufacturer or supplier and earn enough money to raise a family. Those types of careers have been eliminated within the United States and shipped to under- developed nations around the world. The types of careers that are available in the United States today seem to require secondary education.
When my father was younger, there seemed to be more innocence in the entertainment industry, in particular the music industry. Music used to be more focused on love, relationships and feelings. It now appears to be more focused on sex, financial gain, and physical intimidation. On television and the big screen, the focus seemed to be geared around heroes rising above tremendous odds and achieving success. Today, reality television has taken over.
When he was younger, the news seemed to be more focused on reporting events as they happened, leaving the viewers the opportunity to decide how they felt about the events. There were more facts and less opinion surrounding those events. Today’s news seems to work very hard to shape your political viewpoints. When you watch the news today, it is clear to the viewers that you are watching a news program that leans heavily to the Republican or Democratic parties.
Autumne P.
Transportation
Transportation in my father’s life as a young person was basic. Cars didn’t have computers in them and they were a lot easier to fix. They didn’t have satellite radios, DVD players or GPS systems; instead they had 8 track tape players. Cars were a lot bigger and heavier; however the fuel economy has not kept pace with other technological innovation. In Detroit mass transportation has not advanced very much, it still mainly by car, there weren’t any subways or elevated trains then, and there still aren’t any now. It is very difficult to get around if you didn’t have a car. Public transportation has been hindered by the automotive industry and social condition, which forces people to buy cars. Mass transportation has not advanced very much in metro Detroit; it’s still mainly from a limited public bus system. Vehicles have advanced quite a bit in the last 30 years and the price of a luxury car has tripled. In the 70s a Lincoln use to cost under $20,000, now they cost almost $60,000.
Jobs & Economy
In my father’s opinion as a kid, people who wanted a job could find one. The economy seemed stable, and there were always jobs for people who wanted one. 30 years ago America started changing from the industrial age to the computer age. They added computers to all jobs which either changed or improved the jobs. A job that paid $20 an hour was considered a good paying job, but now its $15 an hour. In the 70s having jobs were an American right, but now it’s a privilege. Now in days people are considered lucky to have a good paying job, let alone to have a job. 30 years ago there was not much talk about a global economy, and foreign nation’s economic affairs didn’t seem to affect our country as they do today. In my father’s opinion computers and robotic automation has eliminated more jobs than it has created, which has caused so much unemployment.
Community
My father remembers when communities were a lot friendlier and everyone did their part to improve their community. The communities had more involvement and there were better schools to send your kids too. The communities were a lot safer and people weren’t scared to send kids out. Bad things didn’t happen as frequently and violence didn’t appear to be as mainstream. Back then communities were more segregated but now communities have became more integrated. People were a lot more social, and you knew everyone in your community, but now it’s not unusual to know one or two neighbors in your block. My dad remembers when the children would meet in the neighborhood parks for recreational and sport activities. Now these same parks are empty, because children play the videogames instead. The community has become a more violent place were weapons, drugs, and gangs have increased. Violence is now the norm in many communities, and can be expected among the youth. Small community businesses were instrumental to a neighborhood’s economic development, but now they have been replaced by mega shopping stores (Walmart, target etc.). They transfer revenue away from small businesses and force them out of business. The community doesn’t support small businesses anymore and it has a direct economical effect to the people who live in the community.
Entertainment
When my dad was young, entertainment was in many forms. One form of entertainment was music. Music was made by talented musicians who played various types of instruments, but now it’s made by computers. You had to have real talent to be a musician, but now anyone who is savvy with computers can make a symphony orchestra. Today entertainment is largely about fashion and commercialism. Another form of entertainment that has changed in the past thirty years is television. Television had meaning to it and you were entertained by people’s ability to act out scenes. Now in days television is all about action, violence, and sex appeal.
Kristopher C.
Travel changed a lot since my parents were my age. When they were little they used to have to walk or ride their bike to school every day, even when it was a couple miles. Now everyone has buses, or you get a ride from someone. Also families only had one car, unlike today were most families have at least two.
Entertainment also changed a lot. There were no computers or iPods. Kids had to entertain each other by playing and hanging out with neighborhood friends, and playing neighborhood baseball. Also you were aloud to bring snacks into the movie theater, but now they only let you buy what they sell.
News media also changed. There were only three channels or so for TV and news. There was also no 24 hour news like today, there were set times to tune in. So most people got the news from the paper that was delivered to their house.
Also communications has changed drastically. There were no cell phones, or even caller ID back then. There was also no call waiting, so if someone was on the other line you just got a busy signal and had to keep calling until they picked up. There was also no email or anything, because there was no computers.
Kelly G.
My dad grew up mostly in Virginia and Detroit. He lived partially with his mother and sister and partially with his aunt, uncle, and his sister.
1. “When I was young, not everybody had a television or even a landline phone” Today there are high definition televisions but back in my father’s time, if you had a television it was all black and white and you had no more than four channels. In those days, radio was the main source used for information and you always had access.
4. “There were very few concerts back in the day,” said my dad. He explains how not only were they much cheaper in price but they were much more of a big deal. It was like a one-in-a-lifetime chance. A lot of the time, entertainment was activities you did with family, such as playing in the yard, taking a road trip, and more. Sometimes they had ‘blue light parties’ in which someone would hold a party in their basement that cost fifty cents to get into which gave dinner and dancing.
5. Politics during my father’s age was all about going against the status quo. There were fights about freedom and equality. There were many differences between war and fighting. Politicians didn’t pay much attention to the people but more about themselves. My father said that people went all the way from joining African American-Muslim groups to joining peace movement groups showing how many different directions that the country was split at the time.
6. My father says that news media was important back when he was a kid but it wasn’t nearly as updated as it is today. Back in his day, there was no twenty-four hour news. It was much more delayed than today. If something such as Tiger Wood’s scandal took place, it would take up to weeks whereas today it was released to the public within hours. The news came on once a day and it didn’t last but thirty minutes on TV.
Nona C.
Since my dad was a kid we didnt have a computer, no cell phones, black and white tv, no cable, record player, hi-fi stero, no fm am only, no gps, no fax machiens, no email, no video games, no computers chips. Entertainment the movies ony had 1 screen, was no surrond sound, the cor was techno color, movies were shot n pan and scan not wide screen, no dvd, no vhs, no dvr. Religion when my dad was a kid the only popular religion was christanity he never heard about muslims though everyone was christion. Politics changed by being more center the partys were as polorized.
Anthony L.
DAVID BELLEFLEUR-my dad said that technology has grown at ludacris speed. He remembers that the most technology was at a movie that he would go see. The economy was all about fun and everything was amazingly cheap at our prices now. Movies would be seen constantly. like the Rocky Horror Picture Show, as an experience. The news kept more things private than today. My dad says that until Bill Clinton, most scandals were kept private, unlike todays world. Communication was usually done by mail because cell phones were not around. No one had TV mostly, and people talked on the phone if they had to, no texting. Politics were more sincere, since scandals and personal life were kept aside, politics were not under the influence of that. Religion was treated kindly at my Dad's schools but there was much more racism and hate when my dad went to school, compared to now. Entertainment could have been anything from concerts to plays, no one had much money for other things besides occasional movies.
Karen De la Rosa
3rd hour
When my parents were my age (15), technology was different because the phones weren’t t wireless, there was radio and television, but people didn't own personal computers only big companies and they were really big. There weren’t that many satellites, so they didn't get as many news from other countries, and the picture and all the special effects weren’t as good as they are now. The economy was better because there were jobs for everyone, and the prices were lower so people could by more stuff and travel more around the world. Families were bigger, and people could get visas that would last all their life, but of course they changed it because they weren’t getting any business. Religion was a big part at that time, they had wars in the middle east and other parts of the world. The way people would spend their day would be playing outside, or reading since they didn't have computers. Politics were the same, all kinds all over the world, it hast changed as much, just the economies. The people communicate was through news papers, telegraphs, radio, television, magazines, and they would send letter around the world. People could travel more because there were lower prices, the economy was better, and everything was safer so people didn't had to worry as much like today.
Many things have changed since the time my dad was born. For example, technology was not as advanced is it is today. I hear so many stories about when the first TVs came out and how kids had to sit next to the dial to change the channels and if they clicked it too fast their parents would yell at them. Of course it is not like that today, all we need to do is to press a button. Another rather big thing were the adding of TV channels. Some TV channels broadcasted in black and white, especially in the beginning but later on it began broadcasting in color.
The 60’s economy was okay but it did have its problems. Kennedy’s main goals were to stimulate the economy, reduce unemployment, support growth and democracy abroad, and establish an important economic position on the international front. In the end of the ‘60s, the economy differed to the beginning of the ‘60s. Growth slowed and inflations was rising and the dollar value was weak. Development of computers were an upside to the U.S.’s economic growth. This is because business starting using the new technology. This somewhat reminds me in a way of our economy today.
At the time, peoples religious beliefs differed to each individual family, just like today. Some Christian people were religious and went to church every sunday. Some did not. Same with the Jews. My father went to shul, having his bar mitzvah at age 13 and was part of a sunday school to educate him in Judaism. He was more reformed than the other people he knew in his NY neighborhood. Today it is really the same thing.
Entertainment. TV was a big one. Also going to drive up movies, theaters, broadway plays and going to the opera. Drive up movies were big because, It, its pretty cool to go park your car full of your friends and watch a movie. Who wouldn’t like that? Also, the music they listened to has changed. Also the way they listen to it. One thing that was very different from today though was the media, papperazi and all that stuff. celebrities seemed keep to themselves more. News was not also displayed 24/7 like it is today. Today you can go online and pull up the latest article at 2am. In the 60’s you had to wait till the news later on.
Politics back then are basically the same as they are today in regards to the free economy. accept now, the government is stepping in and owning giant corporations like AIG® and GM®. But like today people mostly had their say in their personal business.
My parents bought the first cell phones a while back in the 90’s. They were bricks. All they had on them were numbers and if you were lucky, some had a half inch wide screen displaying the numbers you were dialing. Sending letters and phone booths were also a thing of the past. Today my mom and dad still likes to write letters.... but they email them or fax them. They can do this from their computers or from there BlackBerrys® almost anywhere. Phones and computers today are not as brick-like as back then. Plus, they can do a lot more.
Travel also has changed dramatically. The technologies in cars, navigation systems. We purchased a 2010 Range Rover which not only has navigation and a five camera surround view, it has a digital instrument panel which displays driver info and almost anything you really need to know. The cool part is that it looks like every cars instruments until you turn the car off... then it disappears. My dad loves that, but sometimes he doest truly understand it. Back then he also mentioned that you could go get an airplane ticket just like that (he snapped his fingers). All you had to show was your ID. you didn’t even have to go through security! he said the process was quite quick. Today the word airport and quick don’t go together due to the extensive security at every airport.
-Jacob Seid
1. Technology
When my mom was 14 there were no cell phones or digital phones. Her phones had cords attaching the receiver to the base. She could walk only about 6 feet away when she was talking. She doesn’t anyone having a computer. When she was in college she didn’t have laptops or PC’s. We used key cards. When we purchased gas, there was no such thing as pay at the pump. We went inside and paid the attendant before we pumped our gas. In a lot of cases the gas station attendant pumped the gas for us.
2. Entertainment
When my mom was a child, her primary entertainment was watching TV as a family. Her TV only had about 6 stations; not hundreds like TV’S today. Plus it wasn’t digital. They didn’t even have cable. She remembers having one video game in high school. It was called Atari. If they wanted to see a movie, they went to the movie theatre. She didn’t have DVD player or the internet. When she was a kid, she played with our friends outside. She didn’t have all the computer games to keep her indoors.
3. Communications
Her primary modes of communication were the phone and the U.S. Postal Service. Since she was a teenager, so much has changed with the addition of federal express, UPS, Fax, Cell phones, the internet.
4. Travel
When my mom was little, she her family just drove to vacations. Flying was expensive and not a common daily mode of transportation. When she flew she ordered her tickets over the phone, and then went to the airport to pick them up. Sometimes long before her flight. Now a days you can order tickets, make hotel reservations and plan an entire vacation online without even talking to a person.
Andrew Samosiuk
3rd hour
1) Technology- When my mom was a teenager they listened to little am/fm radios. Now kids listen to little ipods. Things you store the music in. she had just TVs. Now there are flat screens that are 56 inches in screen size. There video games were atarie and now there is that x-box 360.
2) Communication-When my mom was a teenager they had telephones that plugged into the walls. You could travel with the phone as long as you didn’t go further than the cord would allow. They were not really that expensive either. Now we don’t even have to talk we just push the keys on the phones our parents spend way too much money on.
3) News Media- When my mom was younger the news was the news. You had three main channels to choose from. You could have the paper delivered right to you at home. Instead of sitting with a cup of coffee on Sundays you can just sit in front of your computer. Instead of clipping coupons you just print them off with your printer. The weather maps and the traffic maps are much more advanced.
4) Jobs and Economy- Where to start with this one. When my mom was 14 she got her first job. The pay wasn’t much but it did not take months to find it. Nor did it take her months to find the ones that followed. There was on the job training more so than now. You could learn on the job instead of not being qualified or not having enough school. Gas was way less expensive as was everything else. New companies opened instead of the oldie but goodie ones closing. You didn’t have to move your family to another state to get a good job. You could stay with your family and friends
Dylon Tyldesley
Alesha Lewis
Social Studies/1
1-4-10
I would listen to the Revolutionaries’ demands and only use the ones that didn’t use much of my power or my empire’s resources. I choose this option because in my opinion out of the options this is the best one for me and my empire, and for the revolutionaries because I would not be looking for the most rebellious Revolutionaries with the most land to decide if their important or not. I would not give them permission to become “semi-independent” because that would create a lot of confrontations in the future when you have an amount of land and a lot of different groups of different groups of characters in neighbor to neighbor they will start to get quizzical about who gets what part of the region, and also I need them to help build my empire. I also would never “crush” anyone without good reason, but that still would not be a good idea to “crush” the revolts because that will just lead to pushing my people further away, leading to more revolts. I think by listening to their problems, even if the demands are too much for me and I turn it down, they would still appreciate me caring, and that more fair than, ignoring them, listening to them because they might be a threat, or flat out crushing them.
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