A Nation of Realtors®: A Cultural History of the Twentieth-Century American Middle Class - Brossura

Hornstein, Jeffrey M.

Brossura

ISBN 10: 0822335409 ISBN 13: 9780822335405

Casa editrice: Duke University Press, 2005

Riassunto

How is it that in the twentieth century virtually all Americans came to think of themselves as “middle class”? In this cultural history of real estate brokerage, Jeffrey M. Hornstein argues that the rise of the Realtors as dealers in both domestic space and the ideology of home ownership provides tremendous insight into this critical question. At the dawn of the twentieth century, a group of prominent real estate brokers attempted to transform their occupation into a profession. Drawing on traditional notions of the learned professions, they developed a new identity—the professional entrepreneur—and a brand name, “Realtor.” The Realtors worked doggedly to make home ownership a central element of what became known as the “American dream.” Hornstein analyzes the internal evolution of the occupation, particularly the gender dynamics culminating in the rise of women brokers to predominance after the Second World War. At the same time, he examines the ways organized real estate brokers influenced American housing policy throughout the century.

Hornstein draws on trade journals, government documents on housing policy, material from the archives of the National Association of Realtors and local real estate boards, demographic data, and fictional accounts of real estate agents. He chronicles the early efforts of real estate brokers to establish their profession by creating local and national boards, business practices, ethical codes, and educational programs and by working to influence laws from local zoning ordinances to national housing policy. A rich and original work of American history, A Nation of Realtors® illuminates class, gender, and business through a look at the development of a profession and its enormously successful effort to make the owner-occupied, single-family home a key element of twentieth-century American identity.

Su questo libro

L'autore:

Jeffrey M. Hornstein is District Organizing Coordinator for Local 32BJ of the Service
Employees International Union in Philadelphia. He has a Ph.D. in history from the University of Maryland.

Product Description:

Home ownership is central to the American dream, and Realtors(R) are its agents, there to make the dream a reality. Telling the story of the rise of the Realtors(R), Jeffrey M. Hornstein presents a lively history of the evolution of real estate brokerage in twentieth-century America. He describes how real estate agents turned what was, at the turn of the last century, not a particularly reputable occupation into a respected profession, and then expanded the market for their services by cultivating the connection between home ownership and middle-class status. At the same time, he explains how real estate brokerage became a predominantly female profession, providing many women with a means of financial independence following the Second World War. Hornstein draws on trade journals, government documents on housing policy, demographic data, and examinations of fictional accounts of real estate agents. He chronicles the early efforts of real estate brokers to establish their profession by claiming an expertise; creating local and national boards, business practices, ethical codes, and educational programs; and working to influence laws from local zoning ordinances to national housing policy. A Nation of Realtors(R) is a unique history of the development of a profession and its enormously successful effort to make the owner-occupied, single-family home a key element of twentieth-century American identity.

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Duke University Press
• Data di pubblicazione: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0822335409
• ISBN 13: 9780822335405
• Rilegatura: Copertina flessibile
• Numero di pagine: 266