1. A Changing Society Ch. 28 Sec. 2 cont’d.

2. The Baby Boom Families grew with the postwar economy  soaring birthrate known as a baby boom; population rose nearly 20% during the 1950s Causes: Husbands and wives postponed having children because of the Depression and World War II; higher incomes made couples think they could afford more children; advances in health care, nutrition, and vaccinations reduced the infant death rate

3. Effects: Women left the workplace to raise children; economy stimulated by demand for baby products and services; school enrollment shot up as the “baby boomers” reached school age causing a strain on the educational system

4. Expanding Suburbs Fringe of major cities=suburbs; 75% of new homes built there during the ’50s Levittown—development on Long Island, NY; William Levitt mass-produced 17,000 identical homes

5. Affordability and privacy made them attractive; not always available to minorities Cars were more readily available; also big ole jet airliners (Steve Miller Band reference) replaced trains and ocean liners as the preferred method of long- distance travel

6. A Consumer Society Affluence  wealth; people bought more luxury items Appliances such as the dishwasher, washing machine, and TV were showing up in more homes Teens: caught on to fads like….

7. The hula hoop

8. The crew cut for boys And poodle skirts for girls

9. And a new snack- pizza

10. An American Culture Television profoundly changed American society, perhaps more than any other invention (until the home computer) Billy Graham, a Baptist preacher, had evangelical specials on the networks; sentiment acknowledged that the postwar society was focused on the family

11. Popular TV Shows: The $64,000 Question

12. American Bandstand

13. I Love Lucy

14. And Leave It to Beaver