Zeitgeist

The Spirit of the Times

Ten Zeitgeist that have happened in recent years are listed below:

1. Black Lives Matter movement- a movement that began several years ago following the death of Trayvon Martin

2. Me Too Movement- created by activist Tarana Burke in 2006 to provide resources and support to other victims of sexual assault

3. Global Warming/ Sustainability- Global Warming is the heating up of earths surface mainly caused by the burning of fossil fuels. Many people are finding ways to reduce their carbon footprint to help the problem.

4. Taliban takes over Afghanistan- recently the Taliban has seized power in Afghanistan which for Afghanistan women means that they may be unable to attend school or work and must be supervised by a male when leaving their home.

5. Covid 19- Covid 19 is a deadly virus that has spread across the world in a year causing a global pandemic and a worldwide lockdown

6. Presidential Election- the most recent presidential election took place in November of 2020, in which Joe Biden was declared the victor

7. Stop Asian Hate- the Stop Asian Hate Movement began in early 2021 after a serious of hate crimes were being committed against Asian Americans

8. Body positivity movement- Body Positivity movement is an unofficial movement that began circulating more in the past year or so. Its purpose is to reject the societal beauty standards that are currently in place and instead make women's natural bodies the norm.

9. All minorities for Boston mayoral election- in the Boston mayoral election for the first time in history all candidates are Minorites and majority of them are women.

10. Stock Market Crash 2020- the stock market crash of 2020 was a result of the global pandemic and worldwide lockdown.

Five Zeitgeist that I believe to be the most impactful

1. Black Lives Matter

The Black Lives Matter movement shook the world in many ways. Black people have been fighting for their rights and for justice for centuries and in the middle of a global pandemic black people are still having to fight for their lives. In 2020 the black community united together over the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in efforts to seek justice over their tragic and wrongful deaths. In the midst of it, peaceful protestors were attacked by police in a scene that was all too familiar to ones we have seen in the past. The black community and other allies banded together by also holding others accountable including companies and fashion brands. Any company that did not show their support for this cause was no longer supported by the black community and allies. Instead they direct their attention and money towards black owned businesses and supporting their own.

2. Me Too Movement

The Me Too Movement has greatly impacted the fashion world. By creating a safe space for victims of sexual assault it also has allowed women to empower each other and take back their own bodies. They have emphasized that sexual assault victims are not responsible in any way for being sexually assaulted. Instead the assaulter should be held accountable more. They influence women to dress how they want to. Emphasizing that it is okay to be sexy and dress provocatively if that is what makes you feel good. Women should not have to live in fear any more than they already do.

3. Global Warming/Sustainability

The earth has been in a fragile state for a while and because of that many wildfires, heatwaves, floods, droughts and storms have been occurring. Since fashion is the number 1 pollutant in the world more consumers have been focusing more on sustainable fashion. Consignment and thrifting has become extremely more popular in recent years. The fashion industry is changing and the future of it seems to be up to the consumer.

4. Covid 19

Covid 19 is another thing that has drastically impacted the fashion world. Since everyone in the world was stuck inside for a year nobody was shopping for event wear or any form of dressy attire. Everyone wanted to be comfortable since the only places people could go were to the grocery store and home. Pajamas, sweatpants, and masks were the main things consumers were shopping for. As we start to come out of the pandemic things have since changed but until we are completely rid of Covid 19, sweatpants it is!

5. Body Positivity Movement

There has been a recent surge in body positivity content on the internet. Body positivity is becoming more and more prevalent these days as we are seeing more and more companies using models of different shapes and sizes. The consumers have pushed back on those unrealistic beauty standards that companies like Victoria's Secret have built their brand on, and instead support brands that showcase women of all shapes and sizes.