Zeitgeist

6 Pages 1578 Words

The expression “zeitgeist,” with credit to Merriam Webster Dictionary, refers to the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era; the spirit of the time. When we reference this notion of zeitgeist against a particular time or era, we do so with respect to the taste and outlook characteristic of that period or generation. Also, in regards to the zeitgeist of a particular time, one must look at the effect it has on people. In order to narrow our research, we shall focus our efforts of briefly identifying the zeitgeist at the turn of the twentieth century.
Turn-of-the-century periods are curious times; liminal spaces between the eras being left behind and the ones that have yet to unfold. Such was the turn of the twentieth century. The “turn,” as it was once referred to, featured a time in which a sense of faith poured into science and technology. The general public of the time were captivated by the technology of flight that came onto the scene at the turn of the century. The growth of expertise in scientific knowledge spearheaded an “ism” that has a much attractive connotative ring than many of the “isms” of early and modern days: professionalism. Professionalism more or less initiated a movement into what we today consider respectable professions. Professionalizing such areas as the medical field and engineering added a much-needed degree of competency to each respective field, barring the incompetent. However, the professional status in these areas was reached by only a select few: white Anglo-Saxon males coined the “majority.” The turn of the twentieth century fostered this type of intellectual and cultural climate. It restricted the access of the professional ranks to those not in the majority making it difficult for women, blacks, and working class immigrants to reach these ranks. Also, during this time, social workers sought professional status. Those in this area sought out t...