This paper explores the reactions of American local community to crisis basing on Lynds’ Middletown studies and the author’s field experiences. Middletown in Indiana, U.S. experienced the crisis of Great Depression after 1920s’ prosperity from industrialization. The Lynds studied Middletown in those two periods which actually was “provincializing the U.S”.
The impact of the depression was not only on the material level, but with the pressure and uncertainties people felt the world was out of hand and valued feelings of safety more. The depression influenced different group of people differently. Business class were more difficult in adapting, but were more cheerfully, digging beneficial effects of the depression and attributing problems to individuals. And the ideology of businessmen was in control. Especially the X’s industry of making glass fruit jars was increasing during the depression and X’s family became the nucleus of business control. X College created by X’s family became the fresh leaven to the local community. And the business class took advantage of New Deal to take care of the unable, improve the community externally and increase leisure activities, but resisted the labor union policies and radicalism. Working class experienced the depression more and earlier, but the class consciousness and power were much weaker. Different genders and ages of people had different experiences and reactions towards depression. Sometimes people responded inventively. Under the influences of the crisis the Middletown put priority to centralized coordination of resources. With Federal and State Fund and administration got involved, local autonomy became fading.
In all, the depression was a fall of the past prosperity whose legacies were carried on, and it set the benchmarks and the precedents for the future. The reactions of Middletown to the crisis continue, which helps understand the U.S. and the world today.
