1 / 11

The Affluent Society

The Affluent Society. 1950s…. What comes to mind when you think of the 1950s? . The 1950’s Society. Shifts in the Post-War Society. Average American income  3x “Blue-collar” jobs  “White-collar” jobs Multinational corps & franchises

raquel
Download Presentation

The Affluent Society

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Affluent Society

  2. 1950s… • What comes to mind when you think of the 1950s?

  3. The 1950’s Society

  4. Shifts in the Post-War Society • Average American income  3x • “Blue-collar” jobs  “White-collar” jobs • Multinational corps & franchises • Mc’dees had 8 franchises by the early 1950s • New Consumerism

  5. THE BABY BOOM!!! • Years 1945-1961: • 65 million babies • 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

  6. Suburbia: Levittown • Developer William Levitt addressed the demand for houses caused by the Baby Boom • Created Levittown in NY • 100 mass-produced homes in a potato field 10 miles East of NYC • 1947  1951: Thousands of families rushed to buy one

  7. Levittown

  8. 1950s Family • The Baby Boom • White flight -- Suburbs • A return to traditional family roles • Men were expected to work, while women were expected to stay home and care for the children • Conflict emerged as some women wanted to stay in the workforce

  9. Women settled back into “traditional” roles • “Let’s face it girls, that wonderful guy in your house—and in mine—is building your house, your happiness and the opportunities that will come to your children.” • “Set your sights on a happy home, a host of friends and a bright future through the success of HIS job.” • -BH&G Magazine, 1955

  10. 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

  11. 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.

More Related