1. Opening Assignment Turn in homework. What elements of 1950’s Consumer Culture continue to exist today? What activities that were popular during the Post War era continue to be popular today?

2. Essential Learning Goal: The Post World War II Boom (1946 – 1963) The economic boom and social transformation of post–World War II America helped shape the next 60 years of American culture and economics. Learning Targets: I can identify; conglomerates, franchises, the baby boom, consumerism, advances in medicine, advertising, car culture, the Interstate highway system and the homogenization of American society.

3. SECTION 2: THE AMERICAN DREAM IN THE FIFTIES After WWII ended, Americans turned their attention to their families and jobs New businesses and technology created opportunities for many By the end of the 1950s, Americans were enjoying the highest standard of living in the world Ozzie and Harriet reflected the perfect American family

4. THE ORGANIZATION AND THE ORGANIZATION MAN During the 1950s, businesses expanded rapidly More and more people held “white-collar” jobs - clerical, management, or professional jobs The fields of sales, advertising, insurance and communications exploded White Collar jobs expanded greatly in the 1950s

5. SOCIAL CONFORMITY American workers found themselves becoming standardized Called the “Organization Man,” the modern worker struggled with a loss of individualism Businesses did not want creative thinkers, rebels or anyone that would “rock the boat”

6. Despite their success, some workers questioned whether pursuing the American dream exacted too high a price, as conformity replaced individuality

7. CONGLOMERATES EMERGE Conglomerates, major corporations that include a number of smaller companies in unrelated fields, emerged in the 1950s One conglomerate, International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT), bought rental car companies and hotel chains

8. FRANCHISES EMERGE Another strategy for business expansion was franchising A franchise is a company that offers similar services in many locations Fast food restaurants developed the first franchises in America McDonald’s is one of the leading franchises in the world

9. THE SUBURBAN LIFESTYLE Most Americans worked in cities, but fewer and fewer of them lived there New highways and the affordability of cars and gasoline made commuting possible Of the 13 million homes built in the 1950s, 85% were built in suburbs For many, the suburbs were the American Dream The American Dream complete with a white picket fence

10. THE BABY BOOM During the late 1940s and through the early 1960s the birthrate in the U.S. soared At its height in 1957, a baby was born in America every 7 seconds (over 4.3 million babies in ’57 alone) Baby boomers represent the largest generation in the nation’s history

11. What are the official years of the Baby Boom Generation? 1946 - 1964 saw a marked increase in the number of births in North America. How did the birthrate rise and fall during the baby boom years in the US? 19402,559,000 births per year 19463,311,000 births per year 19554,097,000 births per year 19574,300,000 births per year 19644,027,000 births per year 1974 3,160,000 births per year

12. WHY SO MANY BABIES? Why did the baby boom occur when it did? Husbands returning from war Decreasing marriage age Desirability of large families Confidence in economy Advances in medicine

13. Cute BABIES!

14. WHAT IT WILL MEAN TO YOU Your generation will be supporting an increasingly aged American population

15. ADVANCES IN MEDICINE AND CHILDCARE Advances in the treatment of childhood diseases included drugs to combat typhoid fever and polio (Jonas Salk) Dr. Salk was instrumental in the eradication of polio

16. DR. SPOCK ADVISES PARENTS Many parents raised their children according to the guidelines of pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Spock He thought children should be allowed to express themselves and parents should never physically punish their kids Do you agree with this? Dr. Spock’s book sold 10 million copies in the 1950s

17. IMPACT OF BABY BOOM As a result of the baby boom 10 million students entered elementary schools in the 1950s California built a new school every 7 days in the late ’50s Toy sales reached an all-time high in 1958 when $1.25 billion in toys were sold

18. Symbols of the Baby Boom in Suburbia 19501960 Hot Dog Production (millions of lbs)7501050 Potato Chip Production (millions of lbs)320532 Sales of lawn and porch furniture (millions of dollars)53.6145.2 Sales of power mowers (millions of dollars)1.03.8 Sales of floor polishers (millions of dollars)0.241.0 Sales of Encyclopedias (millions of dollars)72300 Number of Children age 5-14 (millions)24.335.5 Number of baseball Little Leagues7765,700

19. Fads of the Baby Boomers Hula Hoops Frozen Foods Poodle Skirts and Saddle Shoes Barbie and GI Joe Dolls Bikinis Frisbees Yo-yos Ouija Boards Dune Buggies What celebrity deaths have most affected the Baby Boomers? John F. Kennedy Marilyn Monroe Martin Luther King John Lennon

20. WOMEN’S ROLES IN THE 1950S During the 1950s, the role of homemaker and mother was glorified in popular magazines, movies and television

21. WOMEN AT WORK Those women who did work were finding job opportunities limited to fields such as nursing, teaching and office support Women earned far less than men for comparable jobs

22. LEISURE IN THE 1950s Americans experienced shorter work weeks and more vacation time than ever before Leisure time activities became a multi-billion dollar industry Labor-saving devices added more spare time Labor-saving devices provided more leisure time for Americans

23. POPULAR LEISURE ACTIVITES In 1953 alone Americans spent $30 billion on leisure activities Popular activities included fishing, bowling, hunting and golf Americans attended, or watched on T.V., football, baseball and basketball games Bowling remains one of the top leisure activities in the U.S.

24. Ticket out the door. Think of the money you and your family spends on entertainment each month, from cable T.V. to video games and books. Write a list of entertainment items you spend money on each month, and an estimated total.

25. HOMEWORKS Monday= Chapter 19 Section 1 Pages 634 – 640 Main Ideas A – E SkillBuilders: Page 636 #1 – 2 Page 638 #1 – 2 Tuesday= Chapter 19 Section 2 Pages 641 – 649 Main Ideas A – G SkillBuilders: Page 643 #1 – 2

26. Ticket out the door: Working with a partner or two. Discuss what effects you think consumerism and an economy driven by consumer spending has on our SOCIETY. Make a list of all group members and turn in a list of the pros and cons of Consumerism in America.

27. HOMEWORK Chapter 19 Section 3 Pages 652- 657 Main Ideas A – E SkillBuilders: Page 653 #1 – 2 Page 656 #1 – 2  Chapter 19  Section 4  Read Pages 660- 663  Main Idea Questions A – C  SkillBuilder: Page 661 #1 – 2