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The 1950s:

The 1950s:. “Conservatism, Complacency, and Contentment” OR “Anxiety, Alienation, and Social Unrest”. Post-War Consumerism. CONSUMERISM – buying as many goods as possible, on credit General Motors – “Buy Now, Pay Later” Diner’s Card was introduced.

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The 1950s:

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  1. The 1950s: “Conservatism, Complacency, and Contentment” OR “Anxiety, Alienation, and Social Unrest”

  2. Post-War Consumerism • CONSUMERISM – buying as many goods as possible, on credit • General Motors – “Buy Now, Pay Later” • Diner’s Card was introduced

  3. The Nuclear Family“Backbone of a Successful Society” • Women – 25% of the workforce in WWII • Now pressured to return home • Women conflicted because many want to keep working “A woman isn’t a woman unless she’s been married and had children.” -Debbie Reynolds, The Tender Trap

  4. The Typical TV Suburban Families Reinforcing social norms through media Leave It to Beaver1957-1963 The Donna Reed Show1958-1966 The Ozzie & Harriet Show1952- 1966 Father Knows Best1954-1958

  5. “Spoiling the Children” • Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care by Dr. Benjamin Spock • Importance of nurturing children through their teen years • Children could not get too much comfort and love – don’t worry about spoiling • Critics: promoted a “permissive culture”

  6. Improved Health Care • 1954 – Dr. Jonas Salk comes up with the polio vaccine • Killed 1,400 kids/year • 1950s – Penicillin • Whooping Cough, Tuberculosis

  7. Religious Revival Today in the U. S., the Christian faith is back in the center of things. -- Time magazine, 1954 In the wake of communism and the fear it created, many sought shelter in religion. Church membership: 1940  64,000,000 1960  114,000,000 Television Preachers: 1. Catholic Bishop Fulton J. Sheen“Life is Worth Living” 2. Methodist Minister Norman Vincent PealeThe Power of Positive Thinking 3. Reverend Billy Graham warned against the evils of Communism.

  8. Congress adds to our currency and pledge. WE AIN’T NO STINKIN’ COMMIES

  9. The Rise of the Television • Back to the Future clip • Americans bought TVs faster than they had bought either radios or cars • Threatened the movie industry • Reflected and reinforced ideals of 1950s family • No major real-life problems (divorce, drugs, alcohol)

  10. Television – The Western Davy CrockettKing of the Wild Frontier The Lone Ranger(and his faithfulsidekick, Tonto): Who is that masked man?? Sheriff Matt Dillon, Gunsmoke

  11. Teen Culture Traditional Roles Behavioral Rules of the 1950s: • Obey Authority • Control your emotions • Don’t Makes Waves (fit in with the group) • Don’t even think about sex! Well behaved women rarely make history. – Marilyn Monroe

  12. Well-Defined Gender Roles The ideal modern woman married, cooked and cared for her family, and kept herself busy by joining the local PTA and leading a troop of Campfire Girls. She entertained guests in her family’s suburban house and worked out on the trampoline to keep her size 12 figure.-- Life magazine, 1956 The ideal 1950s man was the provider, protector, and the boss of the house. -- Life magazine, 1955 • 1956 – William H. Whyte Jr. – The Organization Man • Middle-class, white suburban male is the ideal

  13. Defiance Below the Radar:Birth of Rock n’ Roll from “Race Records” • Live performances of rhythm and blues were kept from White audiences by Jim Crow Laws • Through the radio it began to attract more followers Chuck Berry Little Richard

  14. Mainstreaming Rock n’ Roll Alan Freed coins Rock & Roll Elvis Presley Buddy Holly

  15. Teen Culture • 1950s – the word “teenager” entered the language • By 1956 – 13,000,000 teens had $7,000,000,000 to spend a year • 1951 – “race music” – unacceptable! • Elvis Presley • Ministers complained, Congress held hearings, TV couldn’t show Elvis’ hips

  16. Rejecting Conformity • Social Critics complained about: • The emphasis on conformity • The power of advertising to mold public tastes • Social commentary • ALIENATION – the feeling of being cut off from mainstream society • many mainstream novels used this idea • BEATNIKS – small groups of writers and artists in the 50s and 60s who were critical of American society

  17. Teen Counter-Culture • The “Beat” Generation - criticize materialism and culture (the most Hipsterist Hipsters) • Jack Kerouac – On the Road • Allen Ginsberg – Howl • Neal Cassady – poet and inspired Kerouac and “One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest” • William S. Burroughs – beat poet

  18. Dissent and Discontent • Inner-city decline • As wealth moved toward the suburbs, cities stagnated • Become places of crime, poverty, and feared minority cultures (gangs)

  19. Moral and Spiritual Decline • 1951 – J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye • Main character – Holden Caulfield • Mocked phoniness of adult society • Sloan Wilson’s The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit • WWII vet who couldn’t find any meaning in society

  20. The Other America – Michael Harrington • 25% of Americans lived in “quiet poverty” • Rural poor whites • Urban blacks • Mexican Braceros • Ernesto Galgarza tried to unionize migrate labor • Indians and Termination Policy • Urbanization effort by the US for Native Americans • Urban Decline • Loss of services and voting power • Urban Renewal Projects • Backfire as many forced out for construction

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