Preface

This master’s thesis was designed to wed together new media with scholarly values—to present accessible history based on scholarly values to the general public. Interested visitors can read the accompanying essay, which complements the simulation by detailing its theoretical foundations.

Historians’ interpretations of consumer culture fall into two categories, hegemony and agency. The hegemony side argues that producers force consumers to buy certain products. These historians characterize consumer culture in terms of coercion, constraint, and homogeneity. The agency side argues that consumers control what they buy. These historians characterize consumer culture in terms of free will, choice, and diversity.

The division between hegemony and agency suggests a simplicity that is not very useful. A more complex interpretation suggests that hegemony and agency coexist in the capitalist consumer culture. Capitalism provides consumers with many products from which to choose. Although consumer demand influences this selection, choices are ultimately limited to profitable products. Furthermore, the effects of race, class, and gender prevent some consumers from buying what they want.

This simulation was designed to represent the coexistence of hegemony and agency in the case of suburban homeownership in 1960 Chicago. Hegemony and agency coexist in the case of the white family represented in the simulation. However, neither hegemony nor agency exists in the case of the African American family represented in the simulation. Instead, a third category of exclusion emerged as separate from either hegemony or agency. Unlike hegemonized groups, excluded groups are not even permitted to participate in the capitalist consumer culture. Exceptions existed (indeed, some African Americans did purchase homes in Chicago suburbs), but as a group African Americans were virtually excluded from owning a suburban home in 1960 Chicago.

While African Americans were excluded from the capitalist consumer culture in terms of housing, they may not have been excluded from the capitalist consumer culture at other times, in other places, or with other types of consumer goods. This simulation is only one of many possible examples of hegemony, agency, and exclusion in consumer culture, and it should be viewed with this context in mind. Additional simulations focusing on other times, places, or consumer goods may be added in the future. Together, these simulations would present a more complete argument for hegemony, agency, and exclusion in multiple consumer culture contexts.