Unit 7 Lesson 5: Cultural Transformation in the 1950s Flashcards
The economic stability of the 1950s gave many Americans the confidence to strive for a quality of life beyond any their parents had known. And it seemed as though most people were aiming for the same things:
a better education, a house in the suburbs, children, a new car. The popularity of these aspirations soon made it seem unusual not to want these things.
After women left their jobs, what was their role
Women soon found themselves hemmed in once again by expectations to conform to traditional female roles: to marry young, to have children right away, and to stay home and raise children instead of working for wages outside the home.
As World War II had drawn to a close, employers had dismissed millions of women from the workforce. For what reasons
The demand for war vehicles, guns, and ammunition had declined, and returning male soldiers were in need of jobs. Government propaganda encouraged women to go home to make way for the returning troops.
How did women feel about leaving there jobs
While most female workers surveyed at the end of the war wished to keep their jobs (75 to 90 percent, depending on the study), many did in fact leave them.
What were the 1950s like
As a result, the 1950s are often looked upon as an era of conformity when Americans paid strict obedience to the rules and standards of the time. For women, that meant a shift back to prewar roles.
Nevertheless, throughout the decade, women continued to make up approximately one-third of the U.S. labor force. Break it down
. Forty percent of women with young children and half of women with older children sought at least part-time employment
The postwar economy allowed a much larger number of Americans to live comfortable, middle-class lives. Elaborate
Families that had previously been able to buy only what they needed now had money to spend on luxuries.
Impact of Advertisers during this time
Advertisers offered all kinds of new and tantalizing products and services, presenting them not as luxuries but as essentials to a good life.
Consumerism
Consumerism became one of defining factors of the new American family—buying and consuming products was good for the family, good for the economy, and good for the United States.
What was the ideal American family at this time
To many, the ideal American family in this era lived in a suburban house. The family consisted of a husband as the “breadwinner” and head of the household, a wife and mother who did not work outside the home, and their cheerful, well-adjusted children.
cars in this era
Thanks to advertisers, the husband knew how important it was to buy a new car that reflected his status. Families were influenced to be good consumers and replace their cars with the newest models, every year if possible.
The baby boomer children of the 1950s were more privileged in general than their parents had been. In what sense
Entire industries sprang up to cater to their needs and wants: clothing, toys, games, books, and breakfast cereals. For the first time in U.S. history, attending high school was an experience shared by the majority, regardless of race or region.
marketers impact on baby boomers
As the baby boomers entered adolescence, marketers realized that they not only controlled large amounts of disposable income earned at part-time jobs but also exerted a great deal of influence over their parents’ purchases.
How did car manufacturers try to convince drivers they should purchase a new car frequently?
They changed the look of car models each year, making them sleeker and more aerodynamic-looking. They also added features, always trying to attract buyers with the latest gadget or amenity.
How did the car culture affect the travel industry?
Cars allowed Americans to be more mobile. They could pack up their cars and explore the sights of the nation on road trips. Roadside restaurants, motels, and tourist attractions sprang up to attract drivers’ business.
How did the car culture affect the way Americans dined out and entertained themselves?
Drive-in restaurants and movie theaters grew in popularity because drivers didn’t have to leave their cars to order and eat a meal or to view and listen to a movie.
One trend that grew in popularity throughout the 1950s was television ownership.Describe the growth in TV ownership
There were only 178,000 televisions in homes in 1948. By 1955, more than 750,000 U.S. households owned a television.
Shows such as Leave It to Beaver and Father Knows Best were highly popular in the late 1950s. What did these shows reinforce in America culture
These shows also reinforced the values of individualism and family—values that came to be redefined as “American” in opposition to alleged communist collectivism. Westerns, which stressed unity in the face of danger and the ability to survive in hostile environments, were popular too.
1.
People were so fascinated by their televisions that many began to eat their dinners in front of the TV rather than sit around a table. How did marketing infleunce this
The marketing of small folding tray tables and frozen “TV dinners” encouraged such behavior.
. Programming for children began to emerge with shows such as
Captain Kangaroo, Romper Room, and The Mickey Mouse Club designed to attract the baby boomers.
The casts of these programs were almost exclusively white. Amos and Andy was an exception.
The comedy had an all–African American cast and was quite popular. However, African American groups complained that the program used demeaning racist stereotypes. Under growing scrutiny and pressure, the show was finally cancelled.
Not everyone bought into the image of a wholesome, prosperous modern America.What was the Beat movement
The Beat movement began in response to the media’s portrayal of “happily ever after.” It started with a small group of writers who felt they were “outsiders” and consequently rejected the direction of postwar America.
Wheree were the roots of the Beat movement
The roots of the Beat movement stretched back to the 1940s and a small group of Columbia University students and ex-students who were passionate about literature and writing. These individuals were desperate to escape what they deemed the mundane life they observed in American culture.
. By the 1950s, the “Beats” were established in New York City and San Francisco. Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Lawrence Ferlinghetti was a San Francisco poet whose City Lights Bookstore became the literary headquarters of the Beat movement.
One of the most famous and celebrated literary works of this movement is Allen Ginsberg’s long poem “Howl.”
On October 7, 1955, Ginsberg first read the poem to an audience at the Gallery Six in San Francisco, delivering a performance that mesmerized the crowd.
Ferlinghetti offered to publish the poem “Howel” as part of his Pocket Poets series.
Ginsberg used his newfound influence to point editors toward Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, a novel that Kerouac had been writing, rewriting, and polishing for several years. When it was published in 1957, On the Road was a sensation.
What imapct did on the road have media wise
Fame brought a predictable backlash. San Francisco columnist Herb Caen referred to the group as “beatniks” in a column in April 1958. It was meant as a derogatory term, and it stuck. Today, many still refer to the nonconformists of the 1950s as beatniks, although the term is not considered particularly derogatory today.
What was the significance of referring to the Beats as beatniks, and how might this term insinuate a connection to communism?
Sputnik, the satellite launched into orbit by the Soviet Union in late 1957, would still be fresh in people’s minds. Adding the “nik” to “beat” made a word similar to “Sputnik,” which might remind people of the Soviet Union and communism.
What was rockabilly that emerged in the 1950s
In the late 1940s, some white country-music musicians began playing their own “countrified” versions of the rhythm and blues that was popular among African American audiences.
What did rockablity transform into
he trend soon developed into rock and roll.
What did rock and roll celebreate
This new music celebrated themes such as young love and freedom from the oppression of middle-class society, and it quickly grew in favor among American teens.
Alan Freed’s role in rocka nd roll
. Alan Freed, an influential disc jockey, named the genre and popularized it by playing it on the radio in Cleveland. It was there that Freed also organized the first rock and roll concert.
The theme of rebellion against authority, present in many rock and roll songs, appealed to teens. In 1954, Bill Haley and His Comets p
provided young people with an anthem for their rebellion—“Rock Around the Clock.” Haley was an example of how white artists could take musical motifs from the African American community and achieve mainstream success.
Besides encouraging a feeling of youthful rebellion, rock and roll also began to tear down color barriers.
African American musicians such as Chuck Berry and Little Richard attracted teens of all ethnicities
What was the advertisers’ purpose in making the commercial about buying a second Ford? How does the commercial address the expectations for women at that time?
: The purpose is to convince families living in the suburbs that they need two cars—a second car isn’t a luxury, but a necessity. If the man needs the family car to drive to work every day, the woman needs her own car in order to see friends, attend PTA functions, and shop. The ad focuses on the woman’s isolation, which would have been a recognizable situation for many women living in the suburbs without a car. The expectation is that the woman in the family doesn’t work outside the home and so would need other reasons for having her own car. Also, it’s taken for granted that she gets the older car.
