The "New Man"

The early 20th century was a time of social awakening when almost everything was supposed to be "new" and different. Not surprisingly, there were also many reform movements aimed at creating a "New Man" who would ideally be social, cosmopolitan, enlightened, tolerant, modern, healthy and energetic. These movements sought to question value systems, discard false ideals, focus on a healthy lifestyle, and gear design and architecture more towards function and utility. When creating a home environment, planners should avoid bourgeois status symbols and purely ostentatious design as much as possible.

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