Cultural Report Prohibition - 964 Words

Cultural Report: Prohibition - â€Å"The Noble Experiment† The 1920s was an era brimming with changes in the social order and culture in the United States, and these changes evidently brought about anxiety and confusion over the evolving concept of â€Å"Americanness†. Prohibition, officially enacted on January 17, 1920, is viewed retrospectively as a lunging effort on the part of the â€Å"old money† European American population to impose their ideals, values, control and power in the face of drastic social changes that threatened their hold on power and influence in society. As new money began to roll into society with the boom of big business, small towns dramatically became urban centers for glamour, glitz and the celebration of†¦show more content†¦At the same time, the crime problem was not dramatic enough for most Americans to respond strongly, and evidence shows that the unemployment was soon absorbed by other industries. In 1933, the 21st Amendment was ratified, nullifying the 18th Amendment and officially ending Prohibition. Many considered prohibition a â€Å"success† because it resulted in higher productivity and general prosperity among the population. Evidence also suggests that the Prohibition was effective in significantly decreasing the amount of alcohol imbibed by Americans and that the level of intoxication rose to pre-Prohibition levels very gradually. Mostly, the failures of Prohibition and its limits can be traced to the difficulties of enforcing the new law because of the nature of the beast. It was impossible for law enforcement to track down every violation of Prohibition when home manufacturing and smuggling and speakeasies allowed Americans to drink rather easily and without detection. Fitzgerald displays many of these social anxieties that plagued American society during the 1920s in the Great Gatsby. The preoccupation with money, wealth and lavishness, the theme of losing purpose in one’s life and wandering aimlessly, the infusion of racial issues, and the discussion of sinful lifestyles (drinking, partying, leading affairs, sex) can all be traced back to the era of the Prohibition. Works Cited Cadman, S. Parkes. AmericanShow MoreRelatedCultural Issues Created by the Prohibition Era. 813 Words   |  3 PagesWhile the prohibition movement of the early twentieth century was brought on with a wholesome and moral mindset, the economic, political, and cultural factors relating to its origins and enactment untimely doomed it for failure. Such groups as the Women’s Christian Temperance Union and the progressive party argued that drinking was the cause of political corruption, crime, bad labor conditions, and a declining sense of family values. These groups’ protests and rallies gained enormous support quicklyRead MoreProhibition in the Great Gatsby1355 Words   |  6 Pagesinfluenced by prohibition. The prohibition law restricted the manufacturing, consumption, transportation, and sale of alcohol. The law was put into effect to lower the crime and corruption rates in the United States in the 1920s. It was also said to reduce social problems and lower taxes. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald examines the negative repercussions of prohibition on the economy, characters in the Great Gatsby, and on the different social classes of the 1920s. Prohibition was passedRead MoreMarijuana Prohibition Canada1372 Words   |  6 PagesThe Controlled Substances Act (Marijuana Prohibition) CLN-4U Unit One Essay Cailey Bazik CLN 4U – Unit One Essay Controlled Substances Act Marijuana Prohibition The Controlled substance act pertaining to Marijuana has been a long on going battle as to whether marijuana should be legal in Canada and taken out of this act. The law behind the drug has a long history and many failed attempts at decriminalization. There are both positive and negative effects to this law, but I believe theRead MoreDrug Trade and Addiction Grows Along with Rapid Growth of Chinese Economy929 Words   |  4 PagesAlong with the rapid growth of Chinese economy, the illicit drug trade and use regain attention widely since three decades ago (Lu, Fang, Wang, 2008). According to the official reports, the populati on of addicts has skyrocketed to more than 1 million in 21st century, while open sources suspect the real number is as high as 12 million, which have casted profound impact on public health including the widespread HIV/AIDS , while transnational illegal drug trade are evolving from traditionalRead MoreThe Effects Of Alcoholism On American Indians And Alaska1429 Words   |  6 Pages American Indians and Alaska Natives have the â€Å"highest rate of binge drinking (30.2%) and heavy alcohol use (8.5%) of all racial groups in the United States† (Rieckmann, 2016). To fight high rates of alcoholism, federal law was implemented for prohibition of alcohol on Indian Reservations in 1974. Alcohol abuse on the reservation is cause for much of the social and economic woes that plague this sovereign nation. It is so drastic, that Navajo Nation and United States Department of Health and HumanRead MoreDrug Legalization1579 Words   |  7 Pagesdrug prohibition. It was drug prohibition- why was crack created? Because cocaine was so expensive. [Cocaine was so expensive  because of drug prohibition.] But what about the morality of legalization? It s not an economic problem at all. It s a moral problem. The economics part of it- I m an economist- the economics problem is strictly tertiary. It s a moral problem. It s a problem of the harm which government is doing. Look, I have estimated statistically that the prohibition of drugsRead MoreThe History Of Sexuality, By Michel Foucault1346 Words   |  6 Pagesself-recognition or for understanding other men† (Foucault 1980:153). The culturally constructed body then, asserts a multitude of identities. The body is molded by distinct regimes of life, broken down by â€Å"rhythms of work, rest, and holiday† uprooted by cultural significant values, habits and moral laws (Foucault 1980:153). The legality of the body within the context of transactional sex has been a subject of constant debate, primarily limited to a severe binary whereby the focus on decriminalization restRead MoreCities in US History: 20th century We all come across with the term globalization. The developing1300 Words   |  6 Pagesweakened identity as well as individuality. As per the report of the United States Conference of Mayors on historic preservation in the year 1966., The Americans country gone through a feeling of rootlessness, during the time connected with the postwar building boom and a high mobility rate. Through the preservation movement, into federal law creates a sense of orientation for Americans (Datel 78). The development of the complex cultural politics of homosexuality during the era is now coming intoRead MoreUniversal Nonverbal Intelligence Test By Lauren Scanlan Essay1210 Words   |  5 PagesThe test is designed to assess individuals from age 5 to 17 years. The test is entirely nonverbal, thus it is especially suitable for â€Å"children and adolescents who have speech, language, or hearing impairments; color-vision deficiencies; different cultural or language backgrounds, and those who are verbally uncommunicative† (manual, p. 1). The examiner uses relatively universal hand and body gestures to provide directions and indicate responses. The test includes demonstration items where the examinerRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Be Abolished1634 Words   |  7 PagesLegality and Liquor: A Balancing Act Laws surrounding alcohol use and consumption in the United States all stem from one major root: the Prohibition Era of the 1920s. The Prohibition Era lasted almost thirteen years and banned the production, the distribution, and the sale of alcohol. In 1933, the Prohibition Act was repealed and states designated their own legal drinking age. In 1984 the National Minimum Drinking Age act was passed and raised the drinking age in the United States to twenty-one.