Online Archive of University of Virginia Scholarship
From Goodwill to Grunge: Secondhand Consumerism in the Twentieth-Century United States1011 views
Author
Le Zotte, Jennifer, History - Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Virginia
Advisors
Hale, Grace, History, University of Virginia
Abstract
"From Goodwill to Grunge" argues that secondhand exchange in the twentieth-century United States was a defining social mechanism and important economic tool. Early in the century, used goods markets helped to craft the infrastructure of a thriving industrial economy, saved the public marketplace, and restructured charitable institutions. Especially after the end of World War II, these so-called “shadow economies” gained a substantial, voluntary consumer following. Secondhand markets became an important resource for the public articulation of minority opinions, including those of anti-capitalists, war protesters, advocates of gender and sexuality equality, and environmentalists.
Degree
PHD (Doctor of Philosophy)
Keywords
Cultural history; fashion; social movements; economics
Language
English
Rights
All rights reserved (no additional license for public reuse)
Le Zotte, Jennifer. From Goodwill to Grunge: Secondhand Consumerism in the Twentieth-Century United States. University of Virginia, History - Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, PHD (Doctor of Philosophy), 2013-08-01, https://doi.org/10.18130/V3MJ72.