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Life at Home in the Twenty-First Century: 32 Families Open Their Doors
Recipient of the Jo Anne Stolaroff Cotsen Prize
Life at Home in the Twenty-First Century cross-cuts the ranks of important books on social history, consumerism, contemporary culture, the meaning of material culture, domestic architecture, and household ethnoarchaeology. It is a distant cousin of Material World and Hungry Planet in content and style, but represents a blend o...more
Life at Home in the Twenty-First Century cross-cuts the ranks of important books on social history, consumerism, contemporary culture, the meaning of material culture, domestic architecture, and household ethnoarchaeology. It is a distant cousin of Material World and Hungry Planet in content and style, but represents a blend o...more
Hardcover, 180 pages
Published
August 18th 2012
by UCLA Cotsen Institute of Archaeology Press
(first published January 1st 2012)
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May 22, 2013
Adam
marked it as to-read
They are collectors, wasters, consumers and hoarders, and they are us. Here are the findings, in text and photo, of a team of scientists who spent several years applying intensive methods of anthropological study to 32 middle-class American families. They confirm all our worst fears (and then some) about our conspicuous consumption. And of course there's bonus trivia here, such as: there is an almost perfect correspondence between—imagine this!—a cluttered refrigerator door and a cluttered home.
I think everyone should read/look at this book. It's a quick and easy read and is very interesting and thought provoking. I only had 2 complaints about the book -
1. All of the pictures/examples and information came from the messiest and most cluttered homes (granted this was the majority of homes). It would have been nice to see one example per chapter from the homes that were not the norm (i.e. a family that did park their car in the garage, or one that had only a few items on the front of the...more
1. All of the pictures/examples and information came from the messiest and most cluttered homes (granted this was the majority of homes). It would have been nice to see one example per chapter from the homes that were not the norm (i.e. a family that did park their car in the garage, or one that had only a few items on the front of the...more
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This book fascinated me on several different levels. First, it is a modern day example of household archaeology and how 32 US families live in today's consumer driven society. From kitchens as the command center to underutilized outdoor spaces, this is a revealing look at the Los Angeles lifestyle. This inside look contrasts drastically with the ideal American lifestyle presented via television and movies. Second, it reveals US consumption levels and potentially how this can impact the planet. H...more
Reading this book and looking at the pictures are like going to a Sociology class. This book is fascinating! The authors looked at 32 families to see what our lives are like at this point in history. What did they find out?
1. we have a lot of stuff. blame it on walmart and costco but our stuff is taking over our lives and our homes.
2. our children are also taking over our lives with their stuff. and they have a LOT of stuff.
3. people are not going outside anymore. ever.
4. kids are now solitary c...more
1. we have a lot of stuff. blame it on walmart and costco but our stuff is taking over our lives and our homes.
2. our children are also taking over our lives with their stuff. and they have a LOT of stuff.
3. people are not going outside anymore. ever.
4. kids are now solitary c...more
Rather depressing study of the lives of thirty-two families in Los Angeles based upon the structure and use of their homes. Much in the same vein as Hungry Planet: What the World Eats. Ugg! The study wasn't pretty. Houses filled with fast food and frozen dinners, houses cluttered with junk, children that spend no time outdoors despite swing sets and pools and the like, ridiculous master suites that are barely used because no one has the time to relax, televisions in every room in the house. Sad...more
Life at Home in the Twenty-First Century presents a troubling picture of 32 families and their material consumption including costly renovations that feature virtually unused master suites; children who rarely go outside; stacks and stacks of clutter; entire walls devoted to displays of Barbie dolls, Beanie Babies and other toys; garages so packed with household overflow that cars have to be parked on the street; large surplus stockpiles of food and cleaning supplies as evidence of excessive big...more
“Life At Home in the 21st Century,” is a photographic ethnography that explores what the typical middle class American family home in Los Angeles looks like and what these images may have to say about contemporary life at home for the middle class. The researchers gained access to 32 Los Angeles family homes. In these homes the researchers inventoried objects, took extensive photographs, drew out detailed diagrams, and interviewed family members. The result is a fascinating peek into middle clas...more
Fascinating ethnoarchaeological portrayal of 21st century life in Los Angeles. Unique cultural text that reveals a lot about who we are as a culture and individuals. Lends credence to thesis that one of the biggest (if not, the biggest) problem we have (and are blind to) is greed and over-consumption.
Chapter 1: Life at Home in the 21st century--basically methodology.
Chapter 2: Material Saturation--Mountains of Possessions
It is no exaggeration to say that this is the most materially rich societ...more
Chapter 1: Life at Home in the 21st century--basically methodology.
Chapter 2: Material Saturation--Mountains of Possessions
It is no exaggeration to say that this is the most materially rich societ...more
The strengths of this book are also its weaknesses. First - the limited data set around the Los Angeles area. I think it would have been interesting to compare a different location from the midwest. Second, the objective tone. While I took this to be the author's intent and the appropriate anthropological approach, I think the book would have been more compelling with a stronger perspective. The part about how often families report eating together compared to how they do was the best part - in p...more
An unintentionally terrifying glimpse into the homes of Southern California families. Any by "families" I mean the (incorrect) definition society uses, which has children as a necessary component.
Thirty-two families from a fairly wide-ranging socio-economic background opened their houses to a couple of sociologists and photographers for this book and study. While its illuminating, I"d have loved to see it go even more in-depth, with a wider range or families, including ones with no kids, and de...more
Thirty-two families from a fairly wide-ranging socio-economic background opened their houses to a couple of sociologists and photographers for this book and study. While its illuminating, I"d have loved to see it go even more in-depth, with a wider range or families, including ones with no kids, and de...more
So far, I've learned that the more crap you have on your refrigerator, the more you consume in general. From the pictures of this book, I'm learning that the vast majority of people have absolutely no taste & have homes packed to the rafters with junk - seriously old computer equipment, tons of DVDs, crappy bed linens, and flat screen TVs that block picture windows. Kid stuff all over the place. I would seriously be depressed if I had to live in any of these homes.
Wow! Eye-opening view into how much crap we have in our homes. Better than most simplify/organize books in getting me to get rid of stuff. Just seeing pictures of how most of us live on a daily basis (these homes are definitely not camera-ready) makes me want to vomit out all the extra crap in my own over-privileged American home. Bring on the minimalism!
Interesting and eye-opening. The text can be fairly dry (this is a summary of an academic study, after all) but the pictures and insets are great. The chapter on material saturation was pretty horrifying and made me want to throw away most of my possessions, but also offers the most comparisons to lifestyles in other countries. A great library book.
An interesting anthropological study of home. A good chunk of the book dealt with the effects of consumerism on the family. There were several interesting facts and photographs, but I think that I still would have enjoyed an even more in-depth analysis of the subjects. As it is, it reads as kind of an overview of what the researchers discovered.
Really interesting archeological study of contemporary American family homes. The pictures are amazing. I wished there were more discussion, but they found some really interesting ways of visually depicting things like flow through the house, room use, stress levels for different occupants of homes, etc. A really interesting study by a cool interdisciplinary group of scholars.
A good idea. I was expecting a more in depth discussion of the outcome/results of the findings. It really seemed incomplete as an anthropological discussion. Actually seemed more of a photographic book than a scientific endeavor. Still interesting to look at though.
Fascinating visual and descriptive data on life at home in southern California, offering views into how people interact with spaces in and around the home to collect and manage personal artifacts, work, play, communicate and socialize, and eat.
1. People have way too much stuff.
2. Children's items are sprawled all over the house, where they used to be confined to just their rooms - see #1.
3. Garages are now used as storage; most families have to leave their cars on the street - see #1.
2. Children's items are sprawled all over the house, where they used to be confined to just their rooms - see #1.
3. Garages are now used as storage; most families have to leave their cars on the street - see #1.
What a fascinating book. Make sure you know what you are getting into - many aspects of this book are very much like a college textbook. With that being said, if you are interested in learning about how people are actually living and spending their time, this is a great read.
view all 3 comments
So some fascinating info here. Turns out I'm not the only one who wants / needs to throw half of my house away!
There are also three YouTube videos associated with this book:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmUyTa...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmUyTa...
Thoroughly eye-opening. I will be reading and re-reading this many times over the years.
We are a curious society with our homes that reflect individual, family, and cultural identities. We also need to start cleaning up after ourselves, spending more family time together, and start getting rid of our TV's! OK, that second sentence is not stated in the book. It's a conclusion I drew from reading this book. Slice of life images+ sociological view of the home = pretty interesting book.
lots of interesting pictures, a little dry to read.
This is very interesting. It is a study of certain families in LA, with focus on their home spaces and the sheer amount of things that are inside of them. It includes interesting statistics as it looks closely at the home and how it has changed over the years. From a sociology standpoint, this is incredibly interesting.
Fun to read an anthropologists point of view of American homes. Pretty fascinating. The most startling observations for me were the disconnects between what we think we need and what we really do - like investing money in master bedrooms and backyards when we spend nearly zero time in them. The statistics about clutter, over consuming, and possessions were depressing. We Americans own, store, stockpile, keep and covet lots of stuff.
Apr 14, 2013
Eric Woodard
added it
This is an absolutely fascinating book.
An interesting look at the way American families live today! I especially enjoyed the anthropological lens through which the authors viewed the patterns and artifacts of modern American life.
May 24, 2013
Mary Lou
marked it as to-read
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