Culture of the 1950s
End of World War II As WWII came to an end with VE Day on May 8, 1945 and VJ Day on Sept. 2, 1945, U.S. soldiers began returning home.
GI Bill - Created June 24, 1944 To help soldiers returning home after their service, the U.S. government created the GI Bill to help ease soldiers back into everyday life. Veterans were given monthly stipend for higher education. College education became an expectation for children of those who earned a college degree from the GI Bill.
Suburbia The GI Bill also helped veterans in other ways. Four million veterans bought homes with low interest government loans. Many moved to the outskirts of the cities into the suburbs. New houses created a record demand for goods and services which fueled the economy. Families could now afford a house, cars, household appliances, and a TV! Families were living the “American Dream.”
Television For the first time in history, almost every 1950s family in the U.S. owned a TV. In 1952, TV Guide outsold every other magazine. The TV Dinner was introduced in 1954 and altered America’s eating habits. TV became the center of consumer culture.
Figure 27.3: The Television Revolution, 1950–1994
Television Shows Shows like Leave it to Beaver, and I love Lucy portrayed a perfect family life and not the reality of everyday homes. Moms were always dressed up while doing domestic chores. Children were adventurous but obedient. Dads never worked late, never lost their temper, and knew all the right answers.
TV Westerns
Kitchen & Household Appliances Electric stove Refrigerator/freezer Toaster Microwave Blender Washing machine Vacuum cleaner Sewing machine Dish Washer Popular Brands General Electric Hoover Whirlpool
Disney’s Carousel of Progress
Consumerism and Advertising Appliances, automobiles, and homes were marketed to consumers both on television and in magazines. Credit card companies encouraged “keeping up with the Jones’s” by promoting buying on credit.
Booming Economy
Interstate Highways When General Eisenhower was fighting WWII in Germany, he saw the success and military defense capability of the Autobahn. As president of the U.S., he authorized the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 which built an interstate highway system across the United States. As of 2006, it has a total length of 46,876 miles. About one-third of all miles driven in the country use the Interstate system. The cost of construction has been estimated at $425 billion (in 2006), making it the largest public works project in history.
Odd numbered highways run North-South (I-5 on Pacific Coast, I-15, to I-95 on Atlantic Coast) while even numbered highways run East-West (I-10 in Texas, I-20, to I-90 in North Dakota).
Fast Food Rise of franchises like McDonald’s appealed to the nation’s sense of conformity. Consumers could eat the same meal in their home town as they could while vacationing. Families began to eat out more often as their affluence increased.
Sunbelt Migration With the addition of air conditioning units for homes and public buildings, many people moved to southern states where temperatures are warmer. Immigration from colder climates and from Mexico also influenced the culture of the Sunbelt states
Baby BOOM! Rapid domestic growth also lead to a baby boom and expanding suburbanization. In 1957, an American baby was born every 10 seconds! Why? More men in society due to end of WWII. GI bill allows men to start a family. Married at a younger age than their parents (1 in 3 women married by age 19) Medical science improved increasing the survival rate of babies. Prosperous economy encouraged parents to have babies sooner (less likely to lose a job and not be able to support a family).
Families The second best selling book behind the Bible in 1946 was Dr. Spock’s Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care. He urged mothers to not work outside the home, comfort crying babies so that they wouldn’t feel rejected, and encouraged less spanking and scolding to create a “democratic” family.
Role of middle class women Popular culture glorified marriage and parenthood more than any other era. Women were told to be “helpmates” to their husband’s and full time mothers to their children. Working women were called “a menace” (Esquire) The ideal wife was married at 16, raised 4 children, cooked and sewed, headed the PTA and exercised to keep her figure. (Life)
Women’s roles continued… Education continued the “gender roles” trend. Girls learned typing and cooking while boys took carpentry and business courses. Guidance counselors cautioned women to not “miss the boat” of marriage by pursuing higher education. 2/3 of college women failed to get a degree. Common joke was that they dropped out to get their M.R.S. degree or their Ph. T (Putting Hubby Through)
We’ve come a long way… or have we??