American Lawn Research Paper

Understanding and Rethinking the American Lawn

“I mow my own lawn”-Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan. If a former U.S President, who was a huge advocate for family values, took the time to maintain their own lawn, then we know that the “American Lawn” must have some sort of value to American Society. But how important is it really? The lawn is such a huge factor in our society that it controls social pressures put in place by a community in order to enact a sense of responsibility for the individual, the economic pressures that lawn companies place on people, to buy their products, and cultural norms, especially what it means to be a part of a community that wants to portray a certain image. By first exploring the history behind the lawn, the drivers that control the behavior of the lawn people, and some alternative lawn care methods we can get a better sense of the dynamics between the individual and the community.
“The American Lawn” has multiple origin stories that revolve around …show more content…
Altogether, the lawn is part of the American Dream! It is important to people; therefore, people are more than willing to put money towards its care. Likewise, people view its care as a responsibility to society that is entrusted on those that are capable of having a lawn. If someone doesn’t take care of their lawn, they will experience significant social pressure from their community, because people associate poor lawn care with being unsystematic. Neighbors and communities may even go so far that they will break the law or take matters into their own hands to ensure that the lawn is kept up-to-par with communal expectations: “Nearby in suburban Reynoldsburg only a year earlier, neighbors of Ketha Robbins (who is no relation to the author) trespassed on her property in the middle of the night, mowed her lawn and ripped up the saplings that were growing there” (Robins