4: Economic Transformation - The Consumer Society Flashcards
What (overall) led to a growth in consumerism?
Increasing confidence in the prosperity and the fact wages rose, thus disposable income rose by around 17%.
What fuelled an expansion in consumer items?
The growth in advertising.
There were 50 million TVs in 1950s, providing more advertisement opportunities, reaching wider audiences.
How much did the advertisement industry actually grow?
1950: Worth $6 billion
1963: Worth $13 billion
What did a population boom mean?
Baby clothes and nappies were in high demand.
The diaper industry was a $50 million per year industry in 1957.
How did the population grow?
There were 4 million born each year between 1954 and 1964.
By 1964, only 40% of the population were born before 1946.
As the population boom occurred post-war, what did this mean for new generations?
They were being brought up in a consumerist world, without facing the struggles of the Depression or war.
Thus, it became an almost innate ability to spend money, fuelling the boom.
How was this the golden age of the US nuclear family?
The Divorce rate fell:
1946: 17.9/1000 marriages vs 1956: 9.6/1000
Plus, within 7 months of marriage, most women fell pregnant.
How did leisure time rise?
The increase in white goods - they were efficient, labour-saving appliances.
How many people had fridges and washing machines in 1951?
90% had fridges.
75% had washing machines.
Less time doing house-work meant more time watching TV and seeing adverts.
How were many good paid for?
Using credit, which actually led to a monumental debt increase.
1945: $5.7 billion
1960: $56.1 billion
What new products filled the shelves?
- Frozen food and TV dinners.
- Polaroid cameras.
- Electric clothes dryer.
- Introduction of plastic meant it was easier for things to be kept clean.
What shows the difference in consumerism in America, compared to the rest of the world?
They had 6% of the world’s population but consumed 33% of all the world’s goods.
Further, they controlled 66% of the world’s productive capacity.
What was hot dog consumption like?
1950: 750 million
1960: 2 billion
Why were people willing to spend more as time went on?
It was becoming clear that the prosperity was here to stay and there would not be a repeat of the interwar period.
