American and European society in the twentieth century

Accounting-History

Was the 20th Century a Renaissance Period

This is a paper about American in the 20th Century. There are six references used for this paper.

The United States and Europe saw a number of changes during the 20th Century. It is interesting to compare the two in terms of science and technology, religion, politics and economics, leisure time, the roles of women, art, music and literature, and fashion.

Science and Technology

There are "three broad innovations which the 20th century will be remembered for: unprecedented means to save, prolong and enhance life; unprecedented means to destroy life, including for the first time putting global civilization at risk; and unprecedented insights into the nature of humans and the Universe (Sagan, 1996)."

During the 20th century, "advances in science and technology played key roles in the two world wars and in space exploration (Kohlstedt, 2004)." Industrialized nations in Europe and the United States gave "unprecedented support to advancing systematic inquiry and, in many cases, privileged experimental and quantitative research. Some of the most outstanding discoveries of the 20th century include radio and television, laser and fiber optics, nuclear technologies, genetic research, and geological plate tectonics (Kohlstedt, 2004)."

Technology is responsible for prolonging many individual's lives. In 1901, the "life expectancy in the United States and Western Europe was about 45 years, while today it is approaching 80 years, a little more for women, a little less for men (Sagan, 1996)."

Religion, Politics, and Economics

The religious, political, and economic arenas were also filled with changes. Religion underwent changes in both the United States and Europe during the 20th century. The United States had been predominantly Protestant prior to the early 1900s, however with the influx of immigrants came a large Catholic population. In Europe, thousands of Jews were persecuted for their religious beliefs.

In the "post-war period, leadership shifted in the world, especially to America and Europe. Post-war leaders such as British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and United States President Harry Truman continued to have an impact in the world, but their rule became much collectively oriented through international organizations and power blocs and the creation of military pacts (Asmar, 1999)."

In 1945, Britain had an "elected labor government, which resulted in an emphasis on domestic issues, and the creation of the welfare state (Asmar, 1999)." The United States found its leadership role increased when the Marshall plan involved it in the post-war reconstruction of Europe.

There were alliances forged with Europe during the 1950s, which began with Franklin Roosevelt. He, Harry Truman, and Dwight Eisenhower were "part of a political, social and military machine that reflected America's rise to world prominence (Asmar, 1999)."

In the 1960s, the United States began to lose some of its power, due to incidences such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War. However, Europe had recovered from World War II, and "slowly began to put its footprints on the world arena. Germany still suffering from the shame of Nazism, plunged itself into an economic revolution, and slowly became a first class economic power in the early 1970s. Under the leadership of Charles De Gaulle, France quickly established itself a niche in Europe by serving the central point for economic integration (Asmar, 1999)."

Roles of Women

Women have played important roles in science and technology, however many times they have faced "social, economic, and intellectual obstacles (Kohlstedt, 2004)." In the early 20th century, the United States benefited from the efforts of "women of distinction like Anna

Botsford Comstock and Ellen Swallow Richards, while in Europe physicist Marie Curie was helping to establish not only possibilities but also standards of exceptionalism (Kohlstedt, 2004)."

In the early 1900s women in the United States fought for the right to vote, and in 1920, women won this right with the adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment. After "gaining political rights in the United States and much of Europe in the first part of the century, women became more independent throughout the century (www.eurofreehost.com/20/20th_century_2.html)." While the roles of women grew over the century, they never completely overcame the gender gap in terms of "opportunities, salaries, and career advancement (Kohlstedt, 2004)."

Music, Art, Literature and Fashion

The Arts saw a number of changes during the 20th century as new genres came about. During this century, music saw the "development of blues, soul, rhythm and blues, jazz, ragtime, swing, rock, country and western, rap, and bluegrass, as well as more recent forms of electronic music. Film became the art of the 20th century, combining drama, music, and high technology to entertain and inspire large audiences (Cowen, 2000)." Fashion was influenced by "music, movies and the media in all aspects of life. Modern art developed new styles such as expressionism, cubism, and surrealism (www.eurofreehost.com/20/20th_century_2.html)."

The modernism experienced in Europe and the United States contributed to societies that were "relatively wealthy and commercial for their time. Today, most of the important works in film, music, literature, painting, and sculpture are sold as commodities (Cowen, 2000)."

Conclusion

The 20th century can be considered a time of Renaissance in the United States. During this time, there were numerous changes in several venues in both the United States and Europe, some which were similar and others entirely different.