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Year of Graduation

2009

Document Type

Thesis

Major

History

Directing Professor

Joe Leedom

Abstract

The progression of air conditioning from factories, to office buildings, to homes, drastically changed the look and feel of life in the United States. Architects were free to create buildings that, before air conditioning were impossible because of ventilation requirements. Employees could work more productively because of the air conditioned climate provided in their workplace and families could unwind inside the privacy of their own homes without being subjected to the discomfort of a stifling house. Air conditioning encouraged families to spend more time inside, which adversely affected societal interaction as face- to –face communication between families, friends and neighbors decreased. The Sunbelt, as area that had once seemed uninhabitable to many, quickly became an extremely desirable place to live and the population of the region increased considerably. Though air conditioning enabled urban expansion nationwide and growth in the Sunbelt region, its development led to the disintegration of the American front porch culture and social interaction within neighborhood communities.

Comments

  • Abstract taken from page 7-8 of author's paper.
  • Ruth Doan was the second reader for this paper

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