The economy in the 1950s and Consumer Society

Question 1

What % of the world’s manufacturing output was from America in the 1950s?

Answer 1

50%

Question 2

What did GNP increase from between 1950 to 1960?

Answer 2

$300bn in 1950
$500bn in 1960

Question 3

How did defence spending increase between 1948 and 53. Why was there this increase?

Answer 3

4% of the GNP in 1948
13% of the GNP in 1953
Due to the Korean War

Question 4

What % of households owned a TV by 1960?

Answer 4

Almost 90%

Question 5

How did WW2 lead to the American economy growing?

Answer 5

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

Question 6

How did Foreign Aid lead to a growing economy?

Answer 6

America gave dollars to other countries so that they would buy American products

Question 7

What impact did the Baby Boom have on the economy?

Answer 7

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

Question 8

How many cars and trucks were on American roads in 1956?

Answer 8

75 milion

Question 9

For what reasons did the car industry do so well in the 50s?

Answer 9

• 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

Question 10

How did listening to music change in the 1950s?

Answer 10

It became more accessible as Hi-Fi sets entered the scene and changed how people listened to music

Question 11

What music artist became hugely famous and what genre did they bring with them?

Answer 11

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

Question 12

How did film change?

Answer 12

It reached a wider audience now millions of people watched TV as a luxury and actors started to express emotions differently with more emotions

Question 13

Which actor and film became a cultural icon in the 1950s?

Answer 13

James Dean in the film Rebel Without A Cause

Question 14

How did advertising change in the consumer society?

Answer 14

With the increased use of radio and TV, advertising became massively influential and important with advertisers spending $10bn a year

Question 15

How many Americans moved into suburbs by the end of the 1950s?

Answer 15

A quarter of the population

Question 16

Why were suburbia financially appealing?

Answer 16

Veterans could buy them for as little as $6900 or rent them at $65 a month

Question 17

What was Levittown?

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Why was the increase in suburban living nicknamed “white flight”

Answer 18

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

Question 19

What evidence was there that the Age of Affluence wasn’t easy for women?

Answer 19

Prescription druge use and alcohol increased. Many turned to tranquilisers, in 1959, over a million pounds (weight) of tranquilisers were used

Question 20

Why was advertising particularly difficult for women?

Answer 20

They were given mixed messages where they were meant to be the robust housemaker and also elegant and glamorous

Question 21

When did Playboy magazine launch?

Answer 21

1955

Question 22

Why was there huge media interest in Christine Jorgensen

Answer 22

The first American to undergo a sex change in 1952

Question 23

What arguments did some Americans have for the Age of Affluence being a really positive period for America?

Answer 23

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

Question 24

What arguments did some Americans have for the Age of Affluence being negative?

Answer 24

“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