Final answer:
Immediate gratification in the working class is associated with the culture of consumption that advocates that success and happiness are achieved through acquiring material goods, a viewpoint heavily promoted after World War I. The availability of consumer credit facilitated this by allowing purchases on the expectation of future income. Despite this consumerist push, critical voices like Arthur Miller's play 'Death of a Salesman' highlighted the emptiness of materialism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of immediate gratification within the working class is deeply intertwined with the broader culture of consumption that emerged particularly after World War I in the United States. As the manufacturing of consumer goods skyrocketed, businesses and marketers aggressively promoted the notion that happiness and success were closely associated with consumption. This led to a significant shift where labor became a means to an end—the acquisition of goods and experiences.
The spread of consumer credit made it possible for many to purchase items with the expectation of future earnings. This democratization of desire influenced individuals to place a higher value on luxury and pleasure rather than security, leading to the prevailing consumerist ideology.
The working class, while unable to afford many consumer goods, influenced the popular culture by creating a culture of leisure, symbolized by taverns and amusement parks. This provided an escape from the drudgery of factory work, offering immediate relief from their economic strife. Meanwhile, the mechanization and routinization of service industry jobs, such as those in fast food (the so-called 'McDonaldization'), discouraged work ethic by depriving workers of agency and decision-making, reducing them to replaceable units rather than valued employees. However, there has always been a critical perspective on materialism, with cultural productions like Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman highlighting the hollowness of a life focused solely on material success.