Convenience
Convenient procedures, products and services are those intended to increase ease in
Because differences in
Examples
Service conveniences are those that save shoppers time or effort, and includes variables such as
Convenience goods are widely distributed products that "require minimal time and physical and mental effort to purchase."[1]
Filling stations sell items that have nothing to do with refuelling a motor vehicle, (e.g. milk, newspapers, cigarettes) but purchasing at that location can save the consumer time compared to making a separate journey to a supermarket. Conveniences such as direct deposit can save companies and consumers money, though this may or may not be passed along to the consumer.[citation needed]
Some conveniences can become nuisances when they break down or don't function correctly. It costs time and money to fix items of convenience when they break down, and may cause much greater costs if something else that depends on them cannot take place.
History
Late 20th century
Household In 1911, architect and author Louis. H. Gibson defined modern conveniences as "those arrangements and appliances which make it possible for people to live comfort ably in a larger house, without seriously increasing the cares which they had in a smaller one". The supposition is that at that time if a family lived in a smaller home, they would have less furniture, appliances and other goods to take care of, and as a result the family's lifestyle and housekeeping would be relatively easy. If, on the other hand, a family moved into a larger home the increase area and furnishings would be much more difficult to manage without labor-saving devices.[2]: 21–23
Examples of modern conveniences at that time included:[2]: 23–25 [3]
- Kitchen sinks with tap water hot and cold running water and wastewater drainage
- The addition of bathrooms as separate rooms with sinks and toilets, also with waste water and sewage drainage
- A furnace, also identified as a significant cost savings
- Closets in bedrooms, bathrooms, hallway for linen, broom closets
- Gas lighting, stoves and fireplaces, where gas was available
- Icebox or refrigerator
20th century
The homes of the 20th century are much bigger than the homes of our family members from the 19th century, both in terms of square footage and number of rooms. Homes built at the beginning of the 21st century have 2–3 times more rooms than homes at the turn of the 20th century. In terms of square footage, new homes built in 2000 are 50% larger than a home built in the 1960s.[4]
The 20th century also enjoyed a proliferation of
21st century
Comparison of modern conveniences in new housing construction
In his 2011 book America's Ticking Bankruptcy Bomb: How the Looming Debt Crisis Threatens the American Dream—and How We Can Turn the Tide Before It's Too Late, Peter Ferrara says that the residential access to modern convenience is markedly different in the 21st century compared to the beginning of the 20th century:[4]
Modern conveniences | 1900 | 1950 | 2011 |
Electricity | < 2% | Not stated | Not stated |
Running water Flush toilets Vacuum cleaner Gas or electric heat |
< 20% | Unknown | 80–100% |
Dishwasher Microwave oven Air conditioner |
None | < 20% | 80–100% |
Central air conditioning Decks and Patios Swimming pools Ceiling fans |
Extremely rare | Extremely rare | Prevalent |
Upcoming technological advancements
Religious groups
Religious groups that shun modern conveniences include Anabaptists (and their direct descendants, the Amish, Hutterites, and Mennonites) and Judaism.
Anabaptists
Key beliefs that determine an
: 35- The belief that in order to enter the world", or the unreformed.
- Avoiding "worldly" behaviors that pull their attention and intentions away from their religious community.
Religion | General position | Electricity | Comments on modern conveniences |
---|---|---|---|
Amish | Generally, the Amish avoid use of modern conveniences to limit their contact with the outside world.[10]: 54 In recent years, there has been greater openness to strategically select certain modern conveniences to support their businesses, while keeping the spirit of the separateness. Per Donald Kraybill and Steven Nolt: "If it enhances the welfare of the community, new technology is welcomed. Only when it peels away community cohesion does technology face the frown of the church."[10]: 67 | Generally, machinery and tools.[10] : 54 |
In most cases the Amish do not have cars, telephone lines coming into their home, or farm equipment that they would ride, all of which increase contact with the outside world or be significant advantages from worldly capabilities. There are exceptions, such as use of |
Mennonite | There is wide disparity among the Mennonite, from those most Progressive to the strictest Old Order about the use of modern conveniences. For instance, some Progressive Mennonites live in cities and enjoy many of the modern conveniences of their non-Mennonite neighbors. Each Mennonite community determines its right path, but always with the ideal of living "simply and humbly".[9] : 13, 35 |
See general comment and Old Order information. | See general comment and Old Order information. |
Old order Anabaptists: | Although there are some modern conveniences that Old Order members enjoy, they are the most reluctant of the Anabaptists to accept the use of technology, especially direct use. For many of them it is a slippery slope that leads to eternal damnation.[14] : 1, 259 |
Use of telephone service and electricity lines brought into the home are generally discouraged, decisions are made by the individual religious communities. Like the Amish, they explore creative use of energy, like batteries, generators, etc.[14]: 97, 248, 252–255 | It is difficult to provide one conclusion for four Old Order religions: Each religious community determines the use of modern conveniences based upon their specific circumstances.[14]: 236, 252, 259 |
Orthodox and Conservative Judaism
For
Orthodox and some Conservative authorities rule that there are 39
Consequences
There are many ramifications of the development of modern conveniences for individuals and their families over the past 150 or more years. The many labor-saving devices have kept pace with growing houses and furnishings and allow for greater
Positive effects
Health care
Some of the major improvements over the past century has been in improved
Technological advancement in underdeveloped countries
Some of the most dramatic technological benefits are seen in underdeveloped countries. For instance, cabling for
- Another example, led by
Negative effects
In 1905, the
Meat consumption
Because of the enormous productivity growth in
Processed food and food preparation
- heart disease.[medical citation needed]
Other
- Styrofoam cups release styrene as the food or drink is consumed. Leaded fuel is another hazardous chemical. Although it has been outlawed in the United States, its use in developing countries impacts the health of local people and the global environment.[19]
See also
- Amish life in the modern world
- Appropriate technology
- Canadians of convenience
- Consumerism
- Convenience function (computing)
- Convenience store
- Convenience translation (finance)
- Critique of technology
- Flag of convenience
- Gamaekjip
- List of convenience stores
- Marriage of convenience
- Modern technology
- Public convenience– term for a public toilet
- Social construction of technology
- Technology
- Technology and society
References
- ^ S2CID 167639305.
- ^ a b Gibson, Louis H. (1889). Convenient Houses, with Fifty Plans for the Housekeeper. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell
- ^ Illinois Farmers' Institute (1897). Annual report, Volume 2. Springfield, IL: Phillips Brothers State Printers. 68–73
- ^ ISBN 978-0-06-202577-7
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Secretary's Information Office, "Reports: Needs of Farm Women", Issues 103–106 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1915), p. 23.
- ISBN 0-9725290-4-7. p.10.
- ^ CNNMoney, December 22, 2006.
- ISBN 0-8191-9349-6. 6:268–270.
- ^ ISBN 0-395-67344-5
- ^ ISBN 0-8018-7805-5
- ^ ISBN 0-8018-6772-X, 9780801867729. pp. 114–115, 136, 313.
- ^ See, for example, [Dan Morse "Still Called by Faith to the Booth: As Pay Phones Vanish, Amish and Mennonites Build Their Own"], The Washington Post, September 3, 2006, p. C1
- ^ Diane Zimmerman Umble's work Archived 2010-08-11 at the Wayback Machine on the subject of the Amish and telephones
- ^ ISBN 0-8018-6565-4
- ^ Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 293:2
- ^ Neulander, Arthur. (1950). The Use of Electricity on the Sabbath. Proceedings of the Rabbinical Assembly 14:165-171.
- ^ Adler, Morris; Agus, Jacob; Friedman, Theodore. (1950). Responsum on the Sabbath. Proceedings of the Rabbinical Assembly 14:112–137
- ISBN 0-87334-004-3. pp. 54–55, 57–58, 77. Further reading / detail pp. 78–93.
- ^ a b PureHealthMD editors. (2011) 15 Modern Conveniences That Are Bad for Your Health. Discovery Communications, LLC. Fit and Health. Retrieved 9-18-2011.
- ^ George H. Simmons (ed.) (1905). Journal of the American Medical Association, Volume 45, Part 1. Chicago: American Medial Association Press., p. 404
- ^ "10 Reasons To Stop Eating Red Meat". 30 January 2014.
Further reading
- Carlin, Dale. (2002) Acid-Base Balancing: Magic Bullet Against Aging. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse. ISBN 0-595-26018-7.
- Price, DDS, Weston A. (2008) [1939]. Nutritional and Physical Degeneration. ISBN 978-0-916764-20-3.
- United States. Dept. of Agriculture. Office of the Secretary. Information Office (1915). Reports: Needs of farm women, Issues 103-106. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.
- Tierney, Thomas F. (1993). The Value of Convenience: A Genealogy of Technical Culture. SUNY Press. ISBN 079141244X
- Shove, Elizabeth (2003). Comfort, Cleanliness and Convenience: The Social Organization of Normality. Berg. ISBN 1859736300
- Holton, Richard H. (July 1958). "The Distinction between Convenience Goods, Shopping Goods, and Specialty Goods". Journal of Marketing. 23 (1): 53–56. S2CID 167598207.
- Bhatnagar, Amit; et al. (November 2000). "On risk, convenience, and Internet shopping behavior". Communications of the ACM. 43 (11): 98–105. S2CID 3353002.
- Glanz, Karen; et al. (October 1998). "Why Americans Eat What They Do: Taste, Nutrition, Cost, Convenience, and Weight Control Concerns as Influences on Food Consumption". Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 98 (10): 1118–1126. PMID 9787717. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
- Morse, Dan. "Still Called by Faith to the Booth: As Pay Phones Vanish, Amish and Mennonites Build Their Own", The Washington Post, September 3, 2006, p. C1.
- Zimmerman Umble, Diane. Work on the subject of the Amish and telephones.