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Period: to
Premodern Era
Approximately early 1900's up until the 1950's. This time frame saw families that worked by candlelight or kerosene lamps and made many of their own goods by hand. This includes: food, clothes, and cleaning supplies. They would go out and buy items that were more labor intensive. -
The Lightbulb
Thomas Edison invents the light bulb in November of 1879. By 1907 only 8% of homes had electricity. This invention was important because with the light bulb they were able to extend their working hours into the night without the use of candles or kerosene lamps making it much easier to complete tasks without waiting for the next day to come. -
Indoor Plumbing
For the Pre-Modern Era, indoor plumbing was rare, and when it did come around in the early 1900's was only available for the very wealthy. Indoor plumbing didn't just include toilets. It also included sinks and potentially showers or tubs. With these things they were able to clean up not only themselves, but could use these resources to clean up clothing and dishes. Although at this time it is likely they only had access to cold water. -
The Vacuum Cleaner
The motorized vacuum cleaner was invented by Hubert Cecil Booth in 1901, but the first vacuum to be marketed as a domestic product wasn't introduced until 1905. The Hoover vacuums we all know came into existence in 1922. This made home cleaning much easier because no longer did people have to mop or sweep their homes, but they could just vacuum up the dust into their brand new electric vacuum cleaner! -
The Automobile
With the introduction of the automobile in 1910, people could now move away from the cities into the suburbs and were also able to move away from making so many goods at home. They could also travel to the grocery store whenever they needed something at short notice instead of making it themselves. With the addition of all these automobiles it also created need for more infrastructure. -
The Zipper
With the invention of the zipper in 1912, families could do away with clasps and buttons. They were easier to handle and were less likely to come undone at inopportune times. This invention helped as far as time management in that it cut down on the time it took when getting dressed. It was also used on rubber boots and tobacco pouches. -
The Hairdryer
The first household hairdryer appeared around 1920. Before the hair dryer many women would simply use their vacuum cleaner to dry their hair (if they had one). Because early versions of the hairdryer were only capable of producing 100 watts of heat they would take a very long time to dry hair and would often overheat before finishing the job. Later versions (1950's) dry the hair by wearing a bonnet over the hair and produce about 300 watts of heat. This is much faster than before. -
Air Conditioning
In the 1930's central air-conditioning made it's way into many people's lives and especially into many high rise buildings. It was initially created by Willis Carrier in 1902 but wasn't put into residential buildings until the 1920's. -
The Credit Card
Credit cards started out with the Diners Club as the first general purpose charge card. The idea was that it could be used on anything and the entire amount would be paid with each statement. This changed how people would use their money because they no longer had to rely on cash or charge coins because now they just had one card. -
Duct Tape
What we know as Duct Tape was invented sometime between 1940-1950. It was created and then adapted for use by soldiers who needed a quick fix on their vehicles and weapons. Since that point it was being sold in hardware stores. It got the name Duct Tape because of it's silver color and how useful it is in repairing duct work around the house in a pinch. -
Period: to
Modern Era
From the 1950's to 1990's. With the introduction of shopping catalogs and the television along with the automobile, families in this era were more likely use their resources towards buying their goods instead of making them. Electricity was also much more common although in rural and farming areas kerosene lamps were still used. -
Indoor Plumbing
By the 1950's our country had seen an increase of indoor plumbing up to three quarters! Those who lacked indoor plumbing were mostly in rural areas. With the rise in indoor plumbing many houses also had more a more modern kitchen and laundry equipment. With their new kitchens many homes went from more prepared meals to quicker Swanson TV Dinners in front of their brand new black and white TV sets. -
Washing Machines
By 1953, the US saw demand so great for automatic washing machines that they could hardly keep up. The more common spin dryers weren't introduced until the 1940's. With automatic washing machines there was no longer a need for doing laundry by hand which greatly decreased the time of this laborious task. Although automatic dryers weren't as common yet, so many people still used a line in their backyard as their dryer. -
Clock Radio
Clock radios are something that many take for advantage. Before the alarm clock people would wake up to the sound of church bells, a factory whistle or mother nature calling. When the clock radio came around sometime in the 1950's, we were able to set an alarm to get up at a specified time to the radio station of our choosing in the morning and then plan our day accordingly. -
LED Lights
The first (visible) LED light was created in 1962 by Nick Holonyak. With the discovery of this light we could now how light added to our watches, nightlights, vehicles, and back lights. It would also eventually lead to the discovery of the white LED light in the 1990's. -
The Television
Between the 1960's and 1970's the introduction of the color television replaced black and white TV's. This gave the family a place to gather while eating their Swanson TV Dinner's rather than meeting around the dinner table. With all the time spent around the TV, families were also watching quite a few more commercials that would influence how they spent their money. -
The ATM
The first ATM was introduced in 1967. Before this a machine was put in but many customers would not use it out of simply not accepting it. Later though, they realized the convenience of being able to go to a machine that allowed them to do many of the things they could do at a bank at the times they weren't able to make it to a bank. -
The Dishwasher
Dishwashers were invented in the 1800's though they were not reliable and they were hand powered. After they had been reworked and turned into an electric appliance they became much more popular. By the 1970's they had become common in the American household. Having a dishwasher freed up time and allowed families to spend time together rather than cleaning up after a meal. -
The CrockPot
The CrockPot came to be in 1971. It was created by a company in Chicago before being bought out by a second company in New Jersey in 1971. It became incredibly popular with women who were working outside the home because they could leave their dinner to cook in their slow cooker all day and it would be done by the time they got home that night. -
Microwave Oven
The microwave oven was invented when a scientist accidentally melted a candy bar he had in his pocket while working on a different experiment involving an active radar set. The microwave soon became a permanent fixture in many families homes because of how quickly it reheats leftovers instead of having to stick them back in the oven the next day. -
The Garage
Somewhere in the 1970's the two-car garage became more prevalent. It has become the American Storage Space; a place to put things don't have a home in our home including second freezers and refrigerators. Many also include extra storage and organization. -
Internet for Everybody
Although the internet had already had it's start with the development of ARPANET in the 1950's, it's official release to the public wasn't until the 1980's. With access to the internet, families were able to communicate without having to use phones and were able to do online shopping as well. -
Period: to
PostModern Era
Early 21st Century, from the 1990 and on. From this time period and on almost all families have access to cell phones, computers and/or the internet. With these introductions they are able to do shopping online and receive home deliveries. There are little to no goods being made at home with the widespread use of grocery stores and restaurants for food. -
Amazon
Along with Google, it is hard for many people to imagine life before Amazon (myself included). It was founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos and continues to grow. It is an online store where you can find virtually anything you would need and get it through either Amazon or a third party retailer. Because they deliver straight to your doorstep and sometimes in a matter of 1-2 days it has become widely used across the world. -
Online Banking
Online banking was introduced in the 1980's but it didn't become widespread until 1994 when it was reintroduced in New York. By 1999 less than 0.4% of households were using online banking but that number rose up to 31% by 2004. With online banking people no longer had to physically move their money around but could do it from the comfort of their own home and could easily transfer it between accounts. -
The Evolution of Internet
Once the internet was fully commercialized in 1995, people no longer had any restrictions as to what they could or couldn't do on it. People were now capable of transcontinental communication as well as transatlantic communication in the coming years. -
The Mobile Phone
Although the first mobile phone was first demonstrated by Motorola in 1973, the phones that really started to affect household management came around in the early 2000's. This is when it really became reasonable for each family to have one if not more than one cell phone because they were becoming much more common. It made it easier to keep in contact with each other when a family member wasn't at home or out running an errand. -
Text Messaging
Text messaging was later added to cell phones in the early 2000's. It changed communication between families and became much easier for getting quick messages across rather than using email or even a phone call. -
Social Media
Social media encompasses MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the like. It is a way to keep people connected all across the world including families that have moved away from each other. It is a way to gather information, manage time with others, and many even spend money through these sources. -
Commercials
With Postmodern commercials, (and media in general) we are being bombarded with more ads than ever. On the tv, internet, radio,billboards, etc. everywhere we are seeing ways and things to spend our money. On the internet especially, companies are spending money to cater their ads so show us things based on what we have been previously searching. -
Cloud Sharing
Cloud sharing was introduced in the 2010's as a way to share information over the internet in a more secure way than using email or outdated forms such as fax machines. This has made managing resources within families easier especially when there are multiple computer or mobile devices where information is being kept. -
Laptops and Computers
Like cell phones, computers and laptops have been around since the 70's and 80's but they have had the biggest impact on family resource management in the most recent years. Since they have become more powerful and are portable, laptops especially determine where the family gathers. They still facilitate communication and home shopping. -
Solar Panels
Solar panels were created about 50 years ago, but with recent movement to go green and make our world a better place many families are adopting solar energy rather than going the normal route. Although it is a larger investment up front, it will end up being much cheaper in the long run.
