THE POSTWAR BOOM

THE POSTWAR BOOM

THE AMERICAN DREAM IN THE 1950S

John Naisbitt

Learning Objectives: Section 2 - The American Dream in the Fifties 1. Explain how changes in business

affected workers.2. Describe the suburban lifestyle of the 1950s.3. Identify causes and effects of the boom in the automobile industry.4 . Explain the increase in consumerism in the 1950s.

SECTION 2: THE AMERICAN DREAM IN THE FIFTIES

After WWII ended, Americans turned their attention to their families and jobs

New businesses and technology created opportunities for many

By the end of the 1950s, Americans were enjoying the highest standard of living in the world

Ozzie and Harriet reflected the perfect American family

The Organization and the Organization Man

Employment in the U.S.• By 1956, majority of Americans not in blue-collar

(industrial) jobs• More in higher-paying, white-collar (office,

professional) positions• Many in services, like sales, advertising,

insurance, communications

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Conglomerates• Conglomerates—corporation that owns

smaller, unrelated companies• Diversify to protect from downturns in individual

industries

Continued . . .

THE ORGANIZATION AND THE ORGANIZATION MAN

During the 1950s, businesses expanded rapidly

More and more people held “white-collar” jobs - clerical, management, or professional jobs

The fields of sales, advertising, insurance and communications exploded

White Collar jobs expanded greatly in the 1950s

CONGLOMERATES EMERGE

Conglomerates, major corporations that include a number of smaller companies in unrelated fields, emerged in the 1950s

One conglomerate, International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT), bought rental car companies and hotel chains

FRANCHISES EMERGE

Another strategy for business expansion was franchising

A franchise is a company that offers similar services in many locations

Fast food restaurants developed the first franchises in America

McDonald’s is one of the leading franchises

in the world

continued The Organization and the Organization Man

Franchises• Franchise—company offers similar products,

services in many places- also the right to use company name and system

• Fast-food restaurants among first, most successful franchises

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Social Conformity• Many employees with well-paid, secure jobs

lose individuality• Personality tests see if job candidates fit in

company culture• Companies reward teamwork, loyalty, encourage

conformity

SOCIAL CONFORMITY

American workers found themselves becoming standardized

Called the “Organization Man,” the modern worker struggled with a loss of individualism

Businesses did not want creative thinkers, rebels or anyone that would “rock the boat”

Despite their success, some workers questioned whether pursuing the American dream exacted too high a price, as

conformity replaced individuality

MAIN IDEA QUESTIONS

A – How were conglomerates and franchises alike and how were they different? Both were successful business entities

that grew rapidly. The conglomerate grew by diversifying; Franchises grew by opening identical

stores in new locations.

THE SUBURBAN LIFESTYLE

Most Americans worked in cities, but fewer and fewer of them lived there

New highways and the affordability of cars and gasoline made commuting possible

Of the 13 million homes built in the 1950s, 85% were built in suburbs

For many, the suburbs were the American Dream

The American Dream complete with a white picket fence

B – What effect did the climate in many corporations have on some workers? Some became dissatisfied with the

emphasis on conformity and the impersonal corporate atmosphere.

The Suburban Lifestyle

The Baby Boom• 1950s, 85% of new homes built in suburbs• 1945–1965 baby boom—soaring birth rate after

soldiers return

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Advances in Medicine and Childcare• New drugs fight, prevent childhood diseases• Dr. Jonas Salk develops vaccine for poliomyelitis• Pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Spock writes popular

guide for parents• Baby boom impacts economy, educational system

Continued . . .

THE BABY BOOM During the late

1940s and through the early 1960s the birthrate in the U.S. soared

At its height in 1957, a baby was born in America every 7 seconds (over 4.3 million babies in ’57 alone)

Baby boomers represent the largest generation in the nation’s history

WHY SO MANY BABIES?

Why did the baby boom occur when it did?

Husbands returning from war

Decreasing marriage age

Desirability of large families

Confidence in economy Advances in medicine

ADVANCES IN MEDICINE AND CHILDCARE

Advances in the treatment of childhood diseases included drugs to combat typhoid fever and polio (Jonas Salk)

Dr. Salk was instrumental in the eradication of polio

DR. SPOCK ADVISES PARENTS

Many parents raised their children according to the guidelines of pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Spock

He thought children should be allowed to express themselves and parents should never physically punish their kidsDr. Spock’s book sold 10

million copies in the 1950s

IMPACT OF BABY BOOM

As a result of the baby boom 10 million students entered elementary schools in the 1950s

California built a new school every 7 days in the late ’50s

Toy sales reached an all-time high in 1958 when $1.25 billion in toys were sold

Fads of the Baby Boomers

Hula Hoops

Frozen Foods

Poodle Skirts and Saddle Shoes

Panty Raids

Barbie and GI Joe Dolls

Bikinis

Frisbees

Yo-yos

Ouija Boards

Dune Buggies

What celebrity deaths have most affected the Baby Boomers?

John F. Kennedy

Marilyn Monroe

Martin Luther King

John Lennon

C – How did the baby boom affect American life in the 1950’s? Creation of youth-centered culture; Increased demand for consumer

goods and jobs related to rearing and educating children.

continued The Suburban Lifestyle

Women’s Roles• Magazines, TV, movies glorify role of homemaker,

mother• Over 1/5 of suburban wives dissatisfied with

their lives• 1960, 40% mothers work; limited opportunities,

less pay than men

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Leisure in the Fifties• Shorter work week, paid vacation, labor-saving

devices free up time• People have time for recreational activities,

spectator sports• Book, magazine, comic book sales climb rapidly

WOMEN’S ROLES IN THE 1950S

During the 1950s, the role of homemaker and mother was glorified in popular magazines, movies and television

WOMEN AT WORK

Those women who did work were finding job opportunities limited to fields such as nursing, teaching and office support

Women earned far less than man for comparable jobs

D – How did women’s roles and opportunities in the 1950’s differ from women’s roles today? Most 1950’s women were

homemakers and had fewer education and career opportunities than women have today.

LEISURE IN THE 1950s

Americans experienced shorter work weeks and more vacation time than ever before

Leisure time activities became a multi-billion dollar industry

Labor-saving devices added more spare time

Labor-saving devices provided more leisure time for Americans

POPULAR LEISURE

ACTIVITES In 1953 alone

Americans spent $30 billion on leisure

Popular activities included fishing, bowling, hunting and golf

Americans attended, or watched on T.V., football, baseball and basketball games

Bowling remains one of the top leisure activities in the U.S.

THE AUTOMOBILE CULTURE

After the rationing of WWII, inexpensive and plentiful fuel and easy credit led many to buy cars

By 1960, over 60 million Americans owned autos

E – Why did auto sales surge in the 1950’s? Cars were necessary for life in the

suburbs, Americans loved cars, and the

positive economic factors allowed for Americans to buy cars.

Automania• Cheap, plentiful gas, easy credit, advertising

increase car sales• No public transit in suburbs; cars necessary

The Automobile Culture

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The Interstate Highway System• Local, state roads link cities, suburbs to schools,

shops, work• Interstate Highway Act—nationwide highway

network unites country• Highways enable long-haul trucking, new towns,

family vacations• Towns near highways prosper; those near older,

smaller roads decline

Continued . . .

INTERSTATE HIGHWAY ACT 1956

In 1956 Ike authorized a nationwide highway network – 41,000 miles of road linking America

THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM

“Automania” spurred the construction of roads linking major cities while connecting schools, shopping centers and workplaces to residential suburbs

Mobility Takes Its Toll• Auto boom stimulates new businesses—

e.g. drive-in movies• Cars create social, environmental problems—

e.g. accidents, pollution• Upper-, middle-class whites leave cities; jobs,

businesses follow • Economic gulf widens between suburban and urban

- also widens gap between middle class and the poor

continued The Automobile Culture

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IMPACT OF THE HIGHWAY

The Interstate Highway system resulted in:

More trucking Less railroad More suburbs,

further away Trucking is the #1 means of moving cargo in the United

States today

HIGHWAYS “HOMOGENIZE”

AMERICA

Another effect of the highway system was that the scenery of America began to look the same

Restaurants, motels, highway billboards, gas stations, etc. all began to look similar

The nation had become “homogenized”

Anytown, USA

“Our new roads, with their ancillaries, the motels, filling

stations, and restaurants advertising eats, have made it possible for you to drive from

Brooklyn to Los Angeles without a change of diet, scenery, or culture.”

John Keats, The Insolent Chariots

1958

DOWNSIDE TO MOBILITY

While the car industry boom stimulated production, jobs, shopping centers, and the restaurant industry, it also had negative effects

Noise Pollution Accidents Traffic Jams Stress Decline of public

transportation

F – What positive and negative effects did the mass availability of the automobile have on American life in the 1950’s? Positive – growth of suburbs, increased mobility.

Negative – Pollution, deterioration of public transportation

New Products• 60% of Americans in middle class; twice as many

as before WW II• Consumerism (buying material goods) equated

with success• Numerous new products appear on market in

response to demand

Consumerism Unbound

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Planned Obsolescence• Planned obsolescence—making products that

get outdated, wear out- makes consumers buy or want to buy new ones

Continued . . .

RISE OF CONSUMERISM

By the mid-1950s, nearly 60% of Americans were members of the middle class

Consumerism (buying material goods) came to be equated with success and status

GMC: Greatest Made Chevy

CHEVROLET

: Can Hear Every Valve Rattle On Long Extended Trips

CHRYSLER:

Company Has Recommended You Start Learning Engine Repair

DODGE: Drips – Oil, - Drops - Grease - Everywhere Dad's - Old - Dead - Garage - Experiment

FORD: Fix- Or- Repair- Daily; Fast- Only- Rolling- Downhill; Found- On- Road- Dead Funding- Our- Retirement- Daily

(from a mechanic's point of

view);

G – How manufacturers influence Americans to become a throwaway society? They designed products to break

down, wear out, and go out of style.

Buy Now, Pay Later• Credit purchases, credit cards, installments

extend payment period• Private debt grows; consumers confident of future

prosperity

continued Consumerism Unbound

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The Advertising Age• Most people have satisfied basic needs; ads

encourage extra spending• Psychological appeals in ads lure consumers to

particular products• Ads appear in all media; television emerges as

powerful new tool

NEW PRODUCTS One new product

after another appeared in the marketplace

Appliances, electronics, and other household goods were especially popular

The first credit card (Diner’s Club) appeared in 1950 and American Express was introduced in 1958

Personal debt increased nearly 3x in the 1950s

THE ADVERTISING AGE

The advertising industry capitalized on runaway consumerism by encouraging more spending

Ads were everywhere Ad agencies

increased their spending 50% during the 1950s

Advertising is everywhere today in America

GUIDED READI NGTRENDS EFFECTS

1. Business: Standardized what people ate;

offered economic advancement to people who would conform;

offered job security to more Americans;

contributed to the baby boom and suburbanization;

offered consumers more choices


2. Suburban: Offered people the chance to live the American dream;

caused many Americans, especially women, to feel dissatisfied with their lives;

contributed to the popularity of the automobile;

led to the decline of cities;

created racial and economic gulfs between suburban and city dwellers


3. Population:

Created the largest generation in U.S. history;

contributed to suburbanization and business expansion;

led to widespread overcrowding in schools and a teacher shortage;

led to a boom in activities geared toward youth


4. Leisure:

Contributed to business expansion in leisure fields;

gave people time to engage in a wide variety of recreational pursuits;

helped to increase sales of book and magazines


5. Automobile: Spurred the building of roads and interstate highways;

encouraged suburbanization and urban decline;

helped the trucking industry to take business from the railroads;

helped to unify and homogenize the nation;

offered Americans more possibilities for leisure activities; stimulated other industries;

created noise and air pollution;

led to more traffic jams and accidents


6. Consumerism:

Helped to popularize the equating of material goods with success;

contributed to the expansion of business;

encouraged manufacturers to produce a wider variety of goods;

encouraged planned obsolescence and the "throwaway society";

caused an increase in private debt;

led to a boom in the advertising industry

Documents

THE POSTWAR BOOM