Cultural change in the 1920s: the Jazz Age; the Harlem Renaissance;…

The idea

Cultural change in the 1920s transformed American society, driven by rising prosperity and new technologies. The Jazz Age symbolised a break from pre-war conservatism, with jazz music becoming the soundtrack for a more permissive youth culture. Concurrently, the Harlem Renaissance fostered a profound flourishing of African American identity through art, music, and literature, challenging racial stereotypes. Mass entertainment expanded rapidly; the growing popularity of baseball created national sporting heroes like Babe Ruth, while radio and the cinema forged a shared, homogenised national culture. Despite this vibrancy, American literature of the era, notably works by the 'Lost Generation' such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, often provided a sharp critique of the decade's materialism, superficiality, and underlying disillusionment.

What earns the marks

• Evaluate how the Jazz Age reflected broader cultural change in the 1920s and challenged traditional moral standards.
• Analyse the significance of the Harlem Renaissance in articulating African American cultural pride and intellectualism.
• Assess the role of radio and the cinema in creating a homogenised mass culture and elevating celebrities.
• Examine the growing popularity of baseball as a reflection of increased leisure time and the commercialisation of sport.
• Interpret how American literature, particularly the 'Lost Generation', critiqued the materialism and spiritual emptiness of the era.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Treating the Harlem Renaissance as merely a musical movement.

  Put it right by emphasising its profound literary, artistic, and intellectual dimensions.

• Assuming radio and the cinema reached all Americans equally.

  Put it right by noting that rural and impoverished communities often lacked access to these new cultural mediums.

• Conflating the exuberance of the Jazz Age with the themes of American literature.

  Put it right by highlighting that writers like Fitzgerald and Hemingway were deeply critical of the era's excesses.

Exam tips

• Link cultural change in the 1920s to economic developments, showing how increased disposable income and leisure time fuelled the growing popularity of baseball, radio, and the cinema.
• Use specific cultural figures—such as Langston Hughes for the Harlem Renaissance or Babe Ruth for baseball—to substantiate your evaluation of cultural shifts.