I was rummaging about on the internet this weekend (admit it, so were you) when I found this interesting article.
Imagine it's 1900 and you're writing an article for the Ladies Home Journal. (interesting tangent: note that the article is written by a man. I wonder how many ladies were writing for LHJ in 1900, and how many men are writing for LHJ today?). Anyway, back to the article. Your subject is "what may happen in the next hundred years?" After surveying prophesies and predictions from a multitude of "experts", you settle on the critical few.
It is fascinating to see how some were so accurate ("wireless telephone and telegraph circuits will span the world. . .We will be able to telephone to China quite as readily as we now talk from New York to Brooklyn") and how some were so far off ("there will be no C, X or Q in our everyday alphabet. . .English will be more extensively spoken then any other; Russian will be second"). Hmm, so one out of three on that last one.
It's interesting that everything is bigger. "Stawberries as large as apples." "Peas as large as beets." "Roses as large as cabbage heads." I guess that, even in 1900, progress was defined as "bigger is better".
Some sections start out with an accurate premise, but miss on how we actually get there. "Ready-cooked meals will be bought from establishments similar of our bakeries of today." As a society, we eat out A LOT. And in some communities, "gourmet to go" is the primary provider of the family dinner. However, check out the predicted execution of such a future state.
Of particular interest is the paragraph titled "How Children will be Taught". It is striking how the focus is on free access to everyone (K thru University) while "medical inspectors" will be visiting the public schools to provide "poor children" with glasses, dental care, and free medical attention of every kind". Free transportation, free lunch, even free vacations for poor children. It's fascinating that, even in 1900, "experts" were predicting the dramatic rise of the role of government in education and in the general welfare of all children. After all, this is being written prior to the rise of communism and socialism in Europe, before either WW1 or WW2, and before the Great Depression. Many of the events that triggered the New Deal, the Great Society, and all of the other well-intentioned government programs that drove the increasing role of government in all aspects of life had yet to occur. Amazing.
And yet, we still have presidential candidates who would see us take it even further today.
Oh, and that last part about etiquette and housekeeping is pretty hysterical. So close, and yet so far - all in the same paragraph.
What's your favorite section?
Hat tip to Jonah Goldberg's "Odd Links Gal" over at The Corner for this.
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3 comments:
Fascinating. I thought the statement about saving time by integrating the subjects interesting. Some subjects can overlap, but we lose the individuality of the subject by lumping them together. That has happened to a certain extent. We have language arts, and social studies encompassing everything from spelling to literature, and history to government.
Peace to you,
Renae
Life Nurturing Education
ROFLMBO! Etiquette and housekeeping taught in schools? Well there was a time when it was, but not anymore. I love finding information like this. Great find. Last week I found my old 1948 etiquette book and handed it to my daughter who is 15. As she reads it she says,"Mom this needs to be taught to the people of today.BADLY!" She thought I got it from the library and when I told her I owned the book she was so excited. She wants to write a new book on manners for publication at Growing in Grace. It's interesting too, to think of the company who published this mannerly, lady-like book of etiquette, none other than Vogue! You won't see those manners taught in their magazines today! lol
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