The middle class takes the stage: Publicity of Montreal dailies as a reflection of class discourse, 1920–1970
Although hardly studied to date, the publicities of the main newspapers reflect the complexity of a major phenomenon of the 20th century: the formation and definition of the middle class. Based on the analysis of ads published in two Montreal dailies between 1920 and 1970, this article demonstrates the defining characteristics and aspirations attributed to the middle class in publicity. The notion of social success changed during these decades. For example, in the inter-war period, the ads were modelled after the way of life of the upper class, and in the post-war period, after the lifestyle of salaried employees living in affluent suburbs. However, for the entire period studied, the place of middle-class women was depicted as being in the domestic realm and that of men in the public arena. The study also showed that some local advertisers fine-tuned their marketing strategies to the Montreal sociocultural context.