Introduction
Propaganda is a powerful tool used by the media and governments to influence people's beliefs and actions. The Federal Security Agency (FSA) is no exception to this practice. As a government agency tasked with promoting public health, the FSA used propaganda during the Great Depression and World War II to support its programs and policies. From posters and radio broadcasts to speeches and films, the FSA used a variety of mediums to convey its messages. However, it is important to examine the ethical implications of using propaganda for public policy and to consider how it may have affected the public's perception of the FSA's programs. During the 1930s and 1940s, the Farm Security Administration (FSA) started to use
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The FSA used a variety of propaganda tools to advance their agenda, including photography, documentaries, and posters. One of the most potent propaganda tools used by the FSA was photography. FSA photographers such as Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, and Arthur Rothstein documented the plight of the poor farmers and sharecroppers, capturing the hardship and struggles they faced. These photographs were widely distributed and helped to generate public sympathy and support for the FSA's programs aimed at alleviating poverty in rural …show more content…
However, the impact of FSA propaganda on American society was not limited to just the Great Depression period, but also contributed to the shaping of American culture and social welfare policies that still exist to this day. The FSA propaganda influenced Americans to support Roosevelt’s policies aimed at reviving the economy and promoting better living standards, and this enabled America to recover from the Great Depression.
Furthermore, the FSA propaganda created a cultural shift in American society by promoting socially progressive ideas that challenged traditional notions of race, gender, and class. For example, the Migrant Mother photograph taken by Dorothea Lange became a symbol of the plight of poor farmers, and it sparked public outrage and raised awareness about the issue of poverty in America. Additionally, the FSA propaganda style, which included a focus on documentary-style photos and narrative storytelling, paved the way for modern photojournalism and documentary filmmaking that continues to influence contemporary culture. All in all, the FSA propaganda was not only instrumental in Roosevelt’s New Deal, but it also played a significant role in shaping American culture and
Finally, to create cooperation among the people and to encourage support for the war effort, the government used propaganda and public education campaigns. This includes the use of posters, such as Dig for Victory and "We Can Do It!", and films such as Disney's "Der Fuehrer’s Face", and other forms of media to help raise awareness of the war and motivate individuals to take action, whether it be by joining the military, working at a factory, or saving and rationing resources. This was shown to be very effective in persuading U.S. citizens to take action and join the fight for their
The programs were praised for taking youth off the streets and into productive work. Another program made in order to “help” the people was affordable living. The act that stated the affordable living was called the Agricultural Adjustment Act, Roosevelt and Hitler both shared the idea. The government controlled how many farmers would produce and the price. The author states, “Roosevelt and Hitler both saw the family farm as the root of national virtue”(252).
Propaganda posters during World War II were used to address issues to citizens. In the article “History as Historical Documents”, by Rodney F. Allen, it was stated a good poster is one that communicates a clear message and draws the attention of the viewer (1). These posters were able to influence a lot of citizens to make sacrifices and decisions to help the troops while addressing controversial topics. One of the well-known propaganda posters was “We Can Do It”, with Rosie the Riveter. Rosie the Riveter was a strong and competent factory worker in jeans and a bandanna and urged women to fill jobs that men had to leave for the war (Olsen).
In times of need for countries citizens always stay loyal and feel more strongly toward their country than during peacetime. The use of national symbols such as Uncle Sam and new national icons such as Rosie the Riveter instilled a new sense of pride and loyalty to many in the nation. Propaganda was very effective from encouraging people to by war bonds, to encouraging people to join the military. Every piece of propaganda was used for the same common purpose, to help Americans help America to win the war.
Uncle Sam, who is known as a national personification of the United States, was the main aspect sparking interest in Americans. J. M. Flagg was able to accurately target his audience by choosing a patriotic figure and emphasizing the word “YOU” as Uncle Sam stared directly into the audience’s eyes while pointing at them. The characteristics of the propaganda were able to stimulate a feeling of pride. Since Uncle Sam was a famous figure that inspired people across America, he was used as the main source to convince millions to enlist in the army. Flagg’s poster immediately became the cover of multiple newspapers.
Franklin Roosevelt’s administration’s responses to the problem of the Great Depression were in the consideration of reform, relief, and recovery-the New Deal-which created programs that have lasted to modern times, increased government powers, and relief to many unemployed Americans, however, it’s clear that certain minorities, women and African Americans, were often excluded from these benefits. Throughout President Roosevelt's Presidency, many programs were created, some fell apart but many lasted, like the Social Security Board (SSB), the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The Social Security
Thompson wasn’t eager to have her family photographed and shown as specimens of poverty, but she knew there were many families just like hers that were starving. She had posed for the photo to symbolize the poor families in hopes of getting help. The photograph had helped Lange gather fame and it earned her a “Guggenheim fellowship and a permanent place in the canon of American photographers”, yet it did little to help Thompson herself who had posed for the photo (Phelan 2014). Lange had hoped that this picture would help educate the public about the plight of the hard working poor (Phelan 2014). Langes’ vision was to help the impoverished through photography, she knew if she could show the public the plight of the poor then something could be done to help them.
During WWI, help is needed to bring all the citizens united and in an agreement with war, as well as raising fundings, raising the number of people in the workforce, mainly women, and having the military 's back. They needed to acquire food and other supplies for the men that were fighting in the trench warfare and replace the jobs that they left. The federal government sought support on the home front by propaganda, enforcing new laws, and through speeches and events. Propaganda was one of the main ways to get a message across, and that was what the government liked; strong and convincing cartoons that encouraged people to provide aid on the home front and encouraging women to occupy the jobs that the soldiers left to help the economy
Elizabeth Warren, Senator of Massachusetts, described America’s economy as a boom an and bust economy leading up to the Great Depression. She explained because of the economy’s sporadic growth and decline that kept repeating, the outcomes of it were, “fortunes were wiped out, ordinary families were crushed under it.” The unfortunate event in U.S History caused many families across the country, particularly to the working class, to live in poverty due to the declining economy and employment instabilities. Franklin Roosevelt, the 32nd U.S President, created a series of programs called the “New Deal” that helped those who were in poverty in these dire times.
for crops had fallen dramatically and farmers across the United States were suffering to deal with the surplus of goods. According to SNAP to Health, this Surplus Relief Corp. became known as the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) of 1933. In order to formalized the distribution of goods and avoid duplicating efforts by local relief agencies, Henry Wallace, Secretary of Agriculture, created the Food Stamp Program under the presidency of Roosevelt. The food stamp assistance program was made available to low-income individuals through the purchase of food stamps and the provision of additional bonus stamps that could be used to purchase specific foods identified as being surplus (SNAPtohealth.org). Individuals were required to buy food stamps
“Propaganda is a monologue that is not looking for an answer, but an echo,” (W. H. Auden). World War II, like many other wars, was influenced by myriad of different variables. One variable that echoed throughout America was propaganda. Propaganda was a major influence in the rally for overall support in America during World War II. The propaganda’s intentions in World War II can be broken down into three major categories: war efforts, Anti-German and Anti-Japanese backing, and homefront endeavors.
Propaganda is the spreading of ideas, rumors and other information to injure or help a person or an institution. One can see this concept in the book Animal Farm, a tale written in 1945 by author George Orwell. Orwell illustrates the use of propaganda in the Russian Revolution by utilizing animals as the main characters. In the novel Animal Farm by George Orwell, the animals use elements of propaganda like scare tactics, scapegoating and disinformation to influence the other animals on the farm.
An independent government agency known as The Committee on Public Information was formed as a way to influence the public’s opinion which they did by using propaganda. There are many different forms of propaganda and many of them were used in WWI which author Joseph Joe Kaminski further discusses in “World War I and Propaganda Poster Art: Comparing The United States and German Class”. The answer to getting the public’s attention was by using different tactics to intrigue citizens; “The use of propaganda art was essential in galvanizing opinions and reshaping ideas during WWI” (Kaminksi, 2).
A leading 19th century psychologist named William James stated this about propaganda: "There's nothing so absurd that if you repeat it often enough, people will believe it”. Propaganda is information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view. This is evident in the televised premature ending of the Montag’s chase and in the symbolism of 451 by the government in Ray Bradbury’s dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451. However, in our world propaganda has been used to unite a country through targeted mass persuasion. This is seen in two classic U.S propaganda posters that encourage U.S citizens to join the army: “I want you”(index 1) and “Remember Dec. 7th” (index 2).
Showing real images that featured the outcomes of war would have caused Americans to become disheartened thus decreasing American morale. To insure victory, the government enforced the use of censorship throughout the nation. In one propaganda poster, the caption reads “Let’s Censor Our Conversation About the War” (“Censored”). The propaganda poster revealed the extent of which the government kept a eye and ear to all American citizens as an attempt to preserve American loyalty. The government was able to use its political power to its full extent by withholding valuable pieces of information, which revealed the extent of its influence.