Unit Six: Canada Matures: Growth in the Post-War Period (1945-1970)

6.3: Social changes: immigration, women’s liberation movement,

technology and lifestyle, youth culture

A Changing Canada: Immigration & Urbanization

• Immigration

– Increased greatly after the war

– PM King felt that immigration should be selective; preference was given to British, American and French citizens

– Later, Canada let in people from other parts of Europe, China and India

– The demand for immigrant labour led to even more immigration in the 1950s

A Changing Canada: Immigration & Urbanization

• Changing Immigration Laws – 1952: The Immigration Act

stated that immigrants could be barred based on ethnic background

– 1962: skill, merit and ability factors are added to the act

– 1967: more changes; Canada’s black population doubled

A Changing Canada: Immigration & Urbanization

• Urbanization & Internal Migration – In 1900, 2/3 of Canadians

lived in rural areas. By 1971, it had changed to urban

– Suburban Society: people living in housing developments outside of cities, where they commuted to work from

The Rights of the People • The Women’s Liberation

Movement – Feminists of the 1960s

believed that society was set up to support men and that to get power, women had to seize it from men. Most women did not share this view.

– The Royal Commission on the Status of Women was struck in 1967 to ensure equality for women.

Living in Canada in the 1950s-1960s

• Technology and Lifestyle: the

following were common or new…

– In homes: 1-line telephones, radios, TVs, refrigerators, stoves & freezers, central heating

– Affordable air travel

– Computers

– Communication Satellites

– Cars

Living in Canada in the 1950s-1960s

• Television

– By the end of the 1960s, almost all Canadian houses had a TV. The CBC microwave network broadcasted coast-to-coast by 1958

Living in Canada in the 1950s-1960s • Television: It changed lifestyles:

• Furniture had to be rearranged

• Supper times were scheduled around shows

• Bedtimes changed on Saturday nights…???

• People stayed home to watch TV; movie theatres closed as a result

• Attendance at sports events dropped

• Newspapers lost advertising money

• People ate TV dinners

Living in Canada in the 1950s-1960s

• The Car – Styles and features changed

radically after WW2: bright paint, fins, chrome, automatic transmission, radios,…

– It became a status symbol: what you drove defined who you were

– In the 1960s, ‘muscle cars’ and ‘pony cars’ debuted

– See the style changes on page 302

Living in Canada in the 1950s-1960s

• Youth Culture

– For the first time, youth subculture became a major influence in society

– Young people adopted their own styles of clothing, not just being miniature versions of their parents

Living in Canada in the 1950s-1960s

• Youth Culture

– 1950s: the ‘biker’ or ‘collegiate’ looks

– 1960s: the ‘hippy’ or ‘British invasion’ looks

Living in Canada in the 1950s-1960s – The biggest influence

was music. Rock ‘n roll was new. Some popular musicians were Elvis Presley, Paul Anka, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Band, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell

– The music celebrated free speech, free love, drug use and anti-war protests

Living in Canada in the 1950s-1960s

• New Attitudes and Values – After the depression and WW2, Canadians wanted

to relax and have fun. The following became common: • Car travel for leisure

• TV entertainment

• Portable radios

• More liberal values & attitudes towards drinking, hairstyles, clothing and music

• Protesting civil rights abuses and against the arms race

Living in Canada in the 1950s-1960s

• A Changed Society…things changed in a variety of areas:

– Privacy

– Obscenity

– Abortion: made legal…sometimes

– Homosexuality: made legal

– Birth Control: the pill became available

– Marriage…or not

– Fast food restaurants

– Credit Cards