The consumer society in the 1940s and 1950s Flashcards
1
Q
Wages in the 1950s
A
BY 1953, the average family’s annual income had reached $4,011
2
Q
What did high wages in the 1950s imply?
A
It meant that people had money to spend.
People’s disposable income rose on average by 17%
3
Q
Consumer boom
• Advertising industry
A
It was a multi-billion dollar industry rising from $6 billion in 1950 to over $13 billion by 1963.
By 1960, there were over 50 million televisions in the USA.
4
Q
Attitudes towards consumerism
A
The consumer culture always left people wanting more.
Advertising was so persuasive that luxury items became necessities.
