Mass Society, Women's Emancipation, and Media in the 20th Century

The Rise of Mass Society in the 20th Century

The first half of the 20th century saw the consolidation of mass society, characterized by these main features:

• Increased public participation in politics through mass media and the generalization of universal suffrage.
• The emergence of mass parties seeking votes from large social groups, unlike the smaller elites targeted by traditional parties.
• Rising living standards leading to the development of a consumer society and new concepts of leisure.

The Emancipation of Women

One of the most significant social changes was the beginning of women's emancipation. In the second half of the 19th century, the suffragist movement emerged, aiming to secure women's right to political participation, improve education and vocational training, and achieve equality between the sexes within families. This movement quickly gained traction in English-speaking countries. In Britain, voting rights were granted in 1918 to women over 30, and this was reduced to 21 in 1928. The United States granted suffrage in 1920. In Spain, feminism was fueled in the 19th century by Concepción Arenal. In 1918, the National Association of Spanish Women was formed, but their demands were not met until the Constitution of the Second Republic established the right to vote for women in 1931.

The Rise of Mass Media

The daily press became the primary mass medium in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Radio, initially used for military purposes until 1920, was later adopted on a large scale for mass communication.

Vocabulary

Free City: A city whose sovereignty is in dispute and that comes under the administrative control of a foreign power.

Sanitary Cordon: Countries surrounding the Soviet Union that were intended to insulate Europe from communist contagion.

War Reparations: The amount a country is held liable to pay to the victors after a war.

Speculation: Profit based on price changes, achieved by buying at lower prices than at which the item is sold.

Overproduction: Oversupply due to the market's inability to absorb it.

Interest Rate: Percentage yield applicable to capital by a financial institution.

Expressionism: An art movement that aimed to have a strong emotional impact on the viewer.

Surrealism: An art movement that highlighted the role of the unconscious in creative activity.

Abstraction: An art movement primarily involved with abandoning the pictorial representation of figures and reality.