06 Utopian Socialism to Amana Microwave Ovens

Lecture 6 Utopian Socialism to Amana Microwave Ovens W hile industrial capitalism brought important benefits to society in terms of new wealth and opportunity, it also created great problems. The conditions of workingclass life in Americas big cities during the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries were miserable. The unsatisfactoryand often exploitativeconditions inspired many different social and political movements. Some were predominantly religious in nature, seeking spiritual inspiration and solution. Others, such as the trade unions, had economic orientations. Many approaches were a mixture, combining political, social, economic, and religious answers to alleviate the miserable conditions of the increasing numbers of the poor, urban working class. The more religious or philosophical movements got the label of utopian socialist.