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Society in the 1950s

Society in the 1950s. Eisenhower at Home. Businesslike cabinet Modern Republicanism Balance budget Extend social security Cut federal health care and education Consolidate government welfare agencies. Eisenhower at Home. Interstate

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Society in the 1950s

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  1. Society in the 1950s

  2. Eisenhower at Home • Businesslike cabinet • Modern Republicanism • Balance budget • Extend social security • Cut federal health care and education • Consolidate government welfare agencies

  3. Eisenhower at Home • Interstate • 1956 Highway Act authorizes construction of 42,000 miles linking major cities (now 47,000) • Largest highway system • Largest public works project until 2011 • Took attention from public transportation in cities

  4. Eisenhower at Home Steady growth in economy Little inflation Small surpluses/deficits Per-capita income triples from 1945-1960 Mid 1950s average income was 2x that of 1920s Highest standard of living in the world

  5. Culture • Conformity • Consumerism • Television • By 1961 55 million TV sets • 3 networks • Comedies, westerns, quiz shows, sports • Common (white, middle class) culture

  6. Culture • Advertising • Name brands • Shopping • Credit Cards • Fast Food • Franchising

  7. Culture • Books/Records • More reading than ever despite TV • Paperback phenomenon (1 million/day) • LP’s and 45’s • Rock ‘n’ roll stolen by Elvis Presley

  8. Culture • Corporatocracy • Conglomerates dominate • More white-collar than blue-collar jobs • Teamwork/conformity • The Organization Man (1956) • Unions • AFL and CIO merge • more power • more middle-class • more conservative • Conformity = Suburbs, new car, good schools, Disneyland

  9. Women’s Roles • Baby Boom • Larger families and younger marriages • 50 million babies between 1945 and 1960 (1940 pop. - 132,164,569) • ‘Burbs • Levittown • Dr. Spock • Baby and Child Care

  10. Social Critics • David Riesman - Sociologist • “inner directed” individuals vs. “other-directed” conformists • John Kenneth Galbraith - Economist • Wealthy Americans fail to address need for social spending for the common good • J.D. Salinger • The Catcher in the Rye • Joseph Heller • Catch-22 • Beatniks

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