In my last paper I talked about the role of visual media, particularly photographs, in social movements. I wanted to stay along this theme of media, but a different subunit this time. Media as a whole interests me, from videos, to photographs, blogs etc. Books, though, are not often considered media. Upon inspection, however, in the past they have had as much effect, if not more, as other media forms. Mass marketed books have the ability to prompt critical thinking, by questioning norms and what society takes for granted.
Since high school, I have been taught the importance of books as not only personal pleasures, but catalytic of change. Ranging from Uncle Tom’s Cabin and its stirring of the civil war, to The jungle and how it led to passing of labor regulation laws, to Anne Frank’s Diary, to Beauvoir’s The Second Sex.
On a more personal level, books were a larger part of my childhood. …show more content…
Though the information on environmental concern and the effect of pesticides (especially DDTs) were already available to the public, Carson’s book was unique in that it synthesized all the information in a comprehensive accessible way. She pieced together environmental concerns of urban and industrial reforms with the ecological issues that were relevant to that time. In documenting the damaging impact of unregulated pesticide use, and eloquently speaking of the barren trees and silent birds, solidarity was formed under the care and sympathy for the environment. Carson’s audience, like Friedan’s, was largely housewives. This part of society had time available to read the piece, and had personal experience with the issue at hand. She started the book by quoting a housewife with her experience of seeing the bird population decline after mass use of DDT. Thus, in targeting this audience, she was able to mobilize a group under a common consensus. This was a necessary first step before making any movement towards institutional
Since high school, I have been taught the importance of books as not only personal pleasures, but catalytic of change. Ranging from Uncle Tom’s Cabin and its stirring of the civil war, to The jungle and how it led to passing of labor regulation laws, to Anne Frank’s Diary, to Beauvoir’s The Second Sex.
On a more personal level, books were a larger part of my childhood. …show more content…
Though the information on environmental concern and the effect of pesticides (especially DDTs) were already available to the public, Carson’s book was unique in that it synthesized all the information in a comprehensive accessible way. She pieced together environmental concerns of urban and industrial reforms with the ecological issues that were relevant to that time. In documenting the damaging impact of unregulated pesticide use, and eloquently speaking of the barren trees and silent birds, solidarity was formed under the care and sympathy for the environment. Carson’s audience, like Friedan’s, was largely housewives. This part of society had time available to read the piece, and had personal experience with the issue at hand. She started the book by quoting a housewife with her experience of seeing the bird population decline after mass use of DDT. Thus, in targeting this audience, she was able to mobilize a group under a common consensus. This was a necessary first step before making any movement towards institutional