Society of the 1950s

Consumerism

Baby BoomBaby BoomIt seems to me that every other It seems to me that every other young housewife I see is pregnant.young housewife I see is pregnant.

-- British visitor to America, -- British visitor to America, 19581958

1957 1957 1 baby born every 7 1 baby born every 7 secondsseconds

Suburban LivingSuburban Living

$7,990 or $60/month with no down $7,990 or $60/month with no down payment.payment.

Levittown: Levittown: “The American Dream”“The American Dream”

1949 1949 William LevittWilliam Levitt produced produced 150 houses per week. 150 houses per week.

Suburban Living:The New “American Dream”Suburban Living:The New “American Dream”

1 story high1 story high

12’x19’ living 12’x19’ living roomroom

2 bedrooms2 bedrooms

tiled bathroomtiled bathroom

garagegarage

small backyardsmall backyard

front lawnfront lawn

Suburban LivingSuburban Living

SHIFTS IN POPULATION SHIFTS IN POPULATION DISTRIBUTION, DISTRIBUTION,

1940-19701940-1970

19401940 19501950 19601960 19701970Central CitiesCentral Cities 31.6% 32.3% 31.6% 32.3% 32.6% 32.0% 32.6% 32.0%

Rural Areas/Rural Areas/ 48.9% 43.9% 48.9% 43.9% 36.7% 26.4% 36.7% 26.4%Small TownsSmall TownsSuburbsSuburbs 19.5% 23.8% 19.5% 23.8% 30.7% 30.7% 41.6%41.6%

Well-Defined Gender Roles

Well-Defined Gender RolesThe The ideal modern womanideal modern woman married, cooked married, cooked

and and cared for her family, and kept herself cared for her family, and kept herself busy by joining the local PTA and leading busy by joining the local PTA and leading a troop of Campfire Girls. She a troop of Campfire Girls. She entertained guests in her family’s entertained guests in her family’s suburban house and worked out on the suburban house and worked out on the trampoline to keep her size 12 figure.trampoline to keep her size 12 figure. -- -- LifeLife magazine, 1956 magazine, 1956The The ideal 1950s manideal 1950s man was the provider, protector, was the provider, protector, and the boss of the house. -and the boss of the house. -- - LifeLife magazine, 1955 magazine, 1955

TelevisionTelevision

1946 1946 7,000 TV sets in the U. S. 7,000 TV sets in the U. S.

Mass Audience Mass Audience TV celebrated TV celebrated traditionaltraditional

American values. American values.

Truth, Justice, and the American way!Truth, Justice, and the American way!

1950 1950 50,000,000 TV sets in the U. S. 50,000,000 TV sets in the U. S.

TV caused U.S. to become a more TV caused U.S. to become a more homogeneous, conformist nation.homogeneous, conformist nation.

Television – The Western

Television – The WesternDavy CrockettDavy Crockett

King of the Wild King of the Wild FrontierFrontier

The Lone RangerThe Lone Ranger(and his faithful(and his faithfulsidekick, Tonto): sidekick, Tonto): Who is that masked Who is that masked man??man??

Sheriff Matt Sheriff Matt Dillon, Dillon,

GunsmokeGunsmoke

Television - Family Shows

Television - Family Shows

I Love I Love LucyLucy

Glossy view of mostly Glossy view of mostly middle-class suburban life.middle-class suburban life.

Suburban Living:The Typical TV Suburban Families

Suburban Living:The Typical TV Suburban Families

The The Donna Donna Reed Reed ShowShow1958-1958-19661966

Leave It Leave It to Beaverto Beaver1957-19631957-1963

FatherFather Knows Knows BestBest

1954-19581954-1958

The Ozzie & Harriet The Ozzie & Harriet ShowShow

1952-19661952-1966

1950’s TV & Popular CulturePopular entertainment, like a TV situation comedy, reflects the social trends and values of the era when they were produced. What do these 1950’s “sit coms” tell

us about social attitudes common in American culture during the 1950’s?

ConsumerismConsumerism1950 1950 Introduction of the Diner’s Introduction of the Diner’s

CardCard

ConsumerismConsumerism

The Culture of the Car

The Culture of the Car Car registrations: 1945 Car registrations: 1945

25,000,00025,000,000

1959 Chevy 1959 Chevy CorvetteCorvette

1958 Pink 1958 Pink CadillacCadillac

1960 1960 60,000,000 60,000,000

2-car families double from 1951-19582-car families double from 1951-1958

Interstate Highway Act 1956Largest public works project in American Largest public works project in American historyhistory!!

Cost $32 billion.Cost $32 billion.

41,000 miles of new highways 41,000 miles of new highways built.built.

The Culture of the Car

The Culture of the Car

First McDonald’s First McDonald’s (1955)(1955)

Drive-In MoviesDrive-In Movies

Howard Howard Johnson’sJohnson’s

The Culture of the Car

The Culture of the Car

The U. S. population was on the move in the The U. S. population was on the move in the 1950s.1950s.

1955 1955 Disneyland opened in Southern Disneyland opened in Southern California.California. (40% of the guests came from (40% of the guests came from outsideoutside California, most by car.) California, most by car.)

Frontier Frontier LandLand

Main StreetMain Street Tomorrow LandTomorrow Land

New Engl. & Mid-West New Engl. & Mid-West South & SW South & SW (“Sunbelt” (“Sunbelt” states)states)

In the midst of the increasing In the midst of the increasing affluence, social critics affluence, social critics expressed a growing sense of expressed a growing sense of unease with American culture unease with American culture in the 1950s.in the 1950s.

• RRejection of materialism• Rejection of conformity • Allen Ginsberg's Howl (1956), and

Jack Kerouac's On the Road (1957) are among the best known examples of Beat literature.

The “Beat” GenerationThe “Beat” Generation