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The American Dream in the 1950s. Welcome to Suburbia!. More and more Americans leave cities for life in the suburbs. 85% of new homes are built in the suburbs; The suburbs embody the “American Dream” The baby boom increases demand for housing. Auto-Mania!.
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Welcome to Suburbia! • More and more Americans leave cities for life in the suburbs. • 85% of new homes are built in the suburbs; • The suburbs embody the “American Dream” • The baby boom increases demand for housing
Auto-Mania! • Living in suburbia makes car-ownership a must! • New car sales rise throughout the 1950s • The total number of cars on the road jumps from 40 million in 1950 to 60 million in 1960 • The Interstate Highway System • More cars = More roads • 1956, President Eisenhower signs the Interstate Highway Act • Americans hit the roads for family vacations • The suburbs grow even more ; • The economic gulf between urban and suburban, middle-class and poor widens
Women in the 1950s • The role of the home-maker is glorified by popular culture; • “[T]he key figure in all suburbia, the thread that weaves between family and community – the keeper of the suburban dream.” • However, many women felt bored, isolated and unfulfilled; • The number of women working outside the home rises steadily during the 1950s • Career opportunities for women are limited to fields such as nursing, teaching and office support • Women are paid less than men for comparable work
The Feminine Mystique • “For the first time in their history, women are becoming aware of an identity crisis in their own lives, a crisis which… has grown worse with each succeeding generation… I think this is the crisis of women growing up – a turning point from an immaturity that has been called femininity to full human identity.” Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique REFLECTION: What crisis are women facing in the 1950s? What does this mean?