The economy in the 1950s and Consumer Society Flashcards
What % of the world’s manufacturing output was from America in the 1950s?
50%
What did GNP increase from between 1950 to 1960?
$300bn in 1950
$500bn in 1960
How did defence spending increase between 1948 and 53. Why was there this increase?
4% of the GNP in 1948
13% of the GNP in 1953
Due to the Korean War
What % of households owned a TV by 1960?
Almost 90%
How did WW2 lead to the American economy growing?
People didn’t want to buy consumer goods so there was a back up of demand as people now want to buy them. Also, people spent far less money in wartime so they now had savings and could spend more
How did Foreign Aid lead to a growing economy?
America gave dollars to other countries so that they would buy American products
What impact did the Baby Boom have on the economy?
The increase in parenthood meant many more markets and industries were created. Demand for clothes, cars, baby products and food increased. Markets followed the baby boom as they got older eg bikes
How many cars and trucks were on American roads in 1956?
75 milion
For what reasons did the car industry do so well in the 50s?
- To achieve the American dream you needed a car
- The Interstate Highways Act massively improved the roads in America
- Consumerism was encouraged and cars quickly became a status symbol
How did listening to music change in the 1950s?
It became more accessible as Hi-Fi sets entered the scene and changed how people listened to music
What music artist became hugely famous and what genre did they bring with them?
Elvis Presley and Rock n Roll emerged and grew hugely in popularity with the youth in America as his sexual dance moves would require him to be filmed from the waist up
How did film change?
It reached a wider audience now millions of people watched TV as a luxury and actors started to express emotions differently with more emotions
Which actor and film became a cultural icon in the 1950s?
James Dean in the film Rebel Without A Cause
How did advertising change in the consumer society?
With the increased use of radio and TV, advertising became massively influential and important with advertisers spending $10bn a year
How many Americans moved into suburbs by the end of the 1950s?
A quarter of the population
Why were suburbia financially appealing?
Veterans could buy them for as little as $6900 or rent them at $65 a month
What was Levittown?
A huge suburb that had homes for 80,000 families. It’s most common design was just under $8000 and soon amenities such as schools, playgrounds and churches were added
Why was the increase in suburban living nicknamed “white flight”
Because many black people didnt have the money to move or werent allowed into suburbs as owners treated them as a business decision which would drive away other white customers
What evidence was there that the Age of Affluence wasn’t easy for women?
Prescription druge use and alcohol increased. Many turned to tranquilisers, in 1959, over a million pounds (weight) of tranquilisers were used
Why was advertising particularly difficult for women?
They were given mixed messages where they were meant to be the robust housemaker and also elegant and glamorous
When did Playboy magazine launch?
1955
Why was there huge media interest in Christine Jorgensen
The first American to undergo a sex change in 1952
What arguments did some Americans have for the Age of Affluence being a really positive period for America?
Many saw it as the most prosperous and happiest period in American for many years as some families saw a huge change in their lives eg cars, tv, suburbs
What arguments did some Americans have for the Age of Affluence being negative?
“A moral disaster; an amusing waste of time” Michael Harrington
- Not enough focus on things that are actually beneficial or the masses and a lack of improvement from the start of 50s
