When talking about what we need, as opposed to what we want, it is important to account for our contemporary American standard of living. More than two-thirds of U.S. householders own their own home. They live in a median-sized home of about 1,700 square feet divided into five or six rooms. The typical home is on a one-third-acre lot, giving the typical American household some "breathing room." Almost every American home (99.4 percent) has some kind of heating source and almost every home (98.5 percent) has a complete bathroom, including toilet, sink, and bathtub. Moreover, not all of the 1.5 percent of households without a complete bathroom live this way out of necessity. Some religious groups, such as the Amish (who are my neighbors in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania), choose to live without indoor plumbing and other modern conveniences.
The simple fact is the contemporary American lives so far above subsistence, we have lost touch with basic needs of life.
As for the modern conveniences that grace the typical American home, a majority of American households owns a car; only 17 percent live without this symbol of American freedom. The majority also have air-conditioning in their homes. Most own a clothes washer and dryer, have an automatic dishwasher, ceiling fan, microwave oven, range and oven, frost-free refrigerator, water heater, stereo equipment, color television, VCR, cordless phone, and answering machine. See Figure 2.2 for a breakdown of the American way of life.
Wealth: | |
Median net worth | $71,600 |
Median household income | $38,885 |
Home ownership rate | 66.8% (1999) |
Housing (1997): | |
Median number of rooms: | 5.3 |
If owner occupied | 6.1 |
Median square footage | 1,685 |
Heating equipment | 99.4% |
Complete Bathrooms: | |
None | 1.5% |
1 only | 46% |
2 or more | 52% |
Single units or mobile homes | 74% |
Median lot size | 0.33 acres |
Amenities (Owner Occupied): | |
Porch, deck, balcony, or patio | 85% |
Usable fireplace | 42% |
Separate dining room | 48% |
2 or more living/recreation rooms | 48% |
Garage/carport | 73% |
Cars: | |
None | 17% |
1 car | 48% |
2 or more cars | 35% |
Household Appliances: | |
Air conditioner: | |
| 46.8% |
| 24.8% |
Clothes washer | 77.4% |
Clothes dryer | 71.2% |
Dishwasher | 50.2% |
Ceiling fan | 60.1% |
Freezer | 33.2% |
Microwave oven | 83.0% |
Oven | 98.8% |
Self-cleaning oven | 44.1% |
Range | 99.2% |
Refrigerator | 99.8% |
Frost-free refrigerator | 86.8% |
Water heater | 100.0% |
Stereo equipment | 68.8% |
Color TV | 98.7% |
| 31.8% |
| 66.9% |
VCR | 88.0% |
Personal computers | 35.1% |
Cordless phone | 61.4% |
Answering machine | 58.4% |
Source: U.S. Statistical Abstract, Appliances and office equipment used by households, 1997; Housing units and lot, 1999 |
The simple fact is the contemporary American lives so far above subsistence, we have lost touch with basic needs of life: food for nutrition, basic clothing, and shelter for warmth and protection. Many people in other countries of the world live dangerously close to subsistence and know the pangs of hunger and the chill of weather without the benefit of adequate clothing and shelter. While most Americans today enjoy a higher standard of living, it has not always been so. During the colonial period and the Civil War, among other times, Americans were also deprived, but they valued their freedom more than material goods. Americans have also faced deprivation in war and during the Depression. Generations born before World War II share cultural memories of living "without" and "in need." The generations that went before were the keepers of family traditions and passed down practical knowledge about living frugally.
However, today's baby boomers and their children are rapidly losing touch with this shared cultural memory of hardship. Boomers and younger generations know nothing about getting along before cars, indoor plumbing, and antibiotics. The generations that were born and came of age after the last World War know little about doing without, struggling to put food on the table, stretching a dollar, and delayed gratification. Spoiled the younger generations may be, but they are the consumers who express their wants, desires, and dreams in terms of needs and necessities because they have never done without.