Speech- American Culture Blue Jeans - Essay Example

RUNNING HEAD: CULTURE OF BLUE JEANS Outline of Speech on Culture of Blue Jeans Outline of Speech on Culture of Blue Jeans mentof Purpose: Being born in the culture of blue Jeans, my perception of culture is heavily subjective to the work of famous anthropologist Ruth Benedict. According to her book Patterns of Culture, Benedict states, "What really binds men together is their culture--the ideas and the standards they have in common." The aspect of culture in this book is given an interdependent association with the aspect of community.

 Therefore according to this culture is the bonds that hold a community together and determines the way their relationships, their values, morals and principles.Thesis: The nature and origin of blue Jeans in the American culture that began as a material used to make clothes for manual laborers to a fashionable clothing material that is worn by everyone all over America.I. The Nature and Origin of the Blue Jeans1. Hard-wearing, durable pants completed with obscure blue cotton material, blue jeans were principally produced for the purpose of formal clothing for the gold miners during 1849. 2. This was at the California gold rush that had employed thousands of workers.

This was a period when citizens of the United States promptly moved into California in quest for gold. 3. Once put on by the manual laborers that were mining gold during the California gold rush in 1849, jeans transformed into one of the most fashionable and preferred clothing materials of the 20th century. 4. Blue jeans transformed from manual labor clothes to the favorite pants of unruly youth in the period between the 1950s and 1960s to fashionable items. 5. Approaching the close of 20th century, a comfortable pair of jeans had converted into a requirement in the normal wardrobe of both ladies and men. 6. Although they are purchased, vended, and put on in virtually all nations in the globe, blue jeans are still viewed as primarily being an American garment.II. How the Culture if Blue Jeans came to be.1. During the 1930s there was the emergence of Hollywood and this period marked the beginning of the film world this meant that there was the creation of a lot of movies. 2. These movies mostly had a western theme during this period.

The main characters in these films who were the cowboys wore blue jeans and acted the films wearing these jeans. 3. This made the blue jeans very popular among the American population who emulated what the actors were doing or what they wore. 4. Nearing the end of 1930 there was the break of the 2nd World War, this saw the death of many soldiers who then to be considered to be national heroes and role models in society. 5. These soldiers mostly wore blue jeans and hence the people strived to emulate their heroes and role models adding popularity to the blue jeans.6. The popularity of Blue Jeans grew among the youth in the 1950s and 1960s.

This was due to the fact that this was a period that marked the beginning of the rock ‘n’ roll era whereby most musicians sang songs of this genre. 7. These musicians in there video clips and performances wore blue Jeans. This therefore prompted the youth to emulate their favorite music artists and wear blue jeans. 8. Another reason that made the 1950s and 1960s be the helm of the popularity of blue jeans was due to the fact that this period was characterized by many riots and protests from youth and college students. 9. In these protests and demonstrations the rowdy youth mostly wore the blue jeans which made it even more popular.III. My identification with the culture of Blue Jeans1.

As a college student I have also not escaped the connection with this culture that is almost with each and every American. 2. I wear blue Jeans almost on a daily basis and therefore in all activities I do for example; going shopping, going for classes, going for parties, going to social gathering and attending other occasions I wear Blue Jeans.In conclusion, Blue Jeans have evolved over time all through the 20th century. Through time, they have come to be part of our culture as with them we remember the gold miners in California in 1850s, the start of Hollywood in 1930s and even our heroes in World War 2 in the 1940s.

Blue Jeans are therefore a part of the American culture and history.ReferencesHarris, Alice. (2002). The Blue Jean. New York: PowerHouse Books.Lindmier, Tom, and Steve Mount. (1996). I See by Your Outfit: Historic Cowboy Gear of the Northern Plains. Glendo, WY: High Plains Press.Reedstrom, E. Lisle. (1992). Authentic Costumes and Characters of the Old West. New York: Sterling Publishers.Ruth Benedict. (1934). Patterns of Culture, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston 1934 p. 16.Weidt, Maryanne N. (1990). Mr.

Blue Jeans: A Story about Levi Strauss. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books.