The Affluent Society14-2 American Abundance 1950s a decade of prosperity
People in all income brackets wereexperiencing a rapid rise in incomes New business techniques and technologyallowed the production of many goods andservices which raised the standard of living People had disposable income and beganbuying new consumer goods. Advertising helped fuel the spending spree The Growth of Suburbia Bill Levitt Levittown, NY
Mass Produced hundreds of simple, similar looking homes affordable, single family homes in the suburbs 2-3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, back and front yard Many people felt the suburbs would provide a better life for theirchildren The Baby Boom More than 65 million children were born between Young couples who put off having kids until after the wars beganto have families GI benefits & Home prices Popular culture on TV and advertising pushing family life,parenthood and large families Changing Workplace White collar jobs increased a job in a fieldnot requiring work clothes, like sales Blue collar jobs decreased a worker whoperforms manual labor Multinational corporations a largecorporations that had overseas investments Consumerism dominates the work place Franchises (a person owns one or morestores of a larger chain of stores),corporations, business growths tremendously Conformity also dominates the work place andsociety in how people dressed (fit a standard orauthority) started the computer revolution
Scientific Advances Electronics & Aviation transistor radio Computers ENIAC made military calculations and the UNIVAC processed business data and started the computer revolution Jet airliners Plastics, lightweight metals, jet engine, affordable travel for the masses Medical Breakthroughs Radiation treatments for cancer chemotherapy CPR Pacemakers & artificial heart valves Blood tests and antibiotics to fight tuberculosis Vaccine for polio The New Mass Media The rise of TV
Comedy, action, variety shows, quiz shows,sports broadcasts Adapted from radio I Love Lucy, The Ed Sullivan Show, The LoneRanger, Dragnet Hollywood lost viewers due to the TV Radio began to feature more music, news,weather, talk shows and sports Car radios! New Music & Poetry Rock n Roll
Born from Rhythm and Blues music, originallyknown as black music Elvis Presley becomes the King of Rock NRoll Created a new group in society known asteenagers United by their music, creates the firstgeneration gap cultural separationbetween child and parent The Beat Movement Highlighted a values gap in1950s poets, writers andartists Did not support the popculture movements for itsconformity and emptiness Small, but laid the foundation for the counter culture of the1960s. Jack Kerouac- On the Road Allen Ginsberg - Howl African American Entertainers
Struggled to findacceptance with afew exceptions Influenced popularmusic around theworld