If you watch television, visit websites, or read magazines, you know that advertising is everywhere. Advertisers target our tastes and dreams with the same urgency that they target our basic needs. Modern advertising really began with the rise in prosperity the United States experienced after World War II. Postwar prosperity had an enormous impact on the lives of Americans. Although many worried about communist infiltration and, even more, the threat of nuclear war, there now seemed to be an entirely new world of distraction. Television cast an even deeper spell on people than radio had. People were fascinated by the visions it provided of the American family and by all the wonderful new products it advertised. Television even drew people together as they watched the same programs. But popular culture could not be contained by what television and its advertisers told people. Changes to the kind of music young people were listening to alarmed adults, who saw the new music as a challenge to their authority and a threat to American values. A new generation of writers arose, and their voices issued a more direct challenge to the conservatism and conformity of the day. In the 1950s, Americans’ fascination with the automobile reached a fever pitch. Watch the video “The Homemaker’s New Car.” As you watch, ask yourself how convincing an argument the commercial makes for buying a second car. Play Replay 30 seconds Play 00:00/ 00:00 Mute Show Captions Launch Transcript Page Enter Fullscreen Objectives Identify and cite the economic, political, and social impact of the changing status and roles of American women after World War II through the 1950s Identify the causes and effects of the changes to the nuclear family in the United States after World War II through the 1950s Identify the different forms of and trends in American popular culture and their effects on individuals and society after World War II through the 1950s Identify and analyze a primary source for the author’s purpose Key Words Beat movement consumerism rock and rollWomen’s Roles in the 1950s Young married women were expected to be smart shoppers, and they were expected to dress for the occasion. 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. 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. As World War II had drawn to a close, employers had dismissed millions of women from the workforce. 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. 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. 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. Most conformed to this norm, at least while their children were young. Nevertheless, throughout the decade, women continued to make up approximately one-third of the U.S. labor force. Forty percent of women with young children and half of women with older children sought at least part-time employment. They did so partly out of necessity and partly to pay for the new elements of “the good life”—second cars, vacations, and college education for their children. Women who continued to work outside of the home often faced discrimination in the workplace both in pay and in the types of jobs they were likely to be hired to do. Think about how the economic stability of the 1950s led to an increase in consumerism and conformity and how this trend affected women in particular. What aspects of consumerism and conformity are illustrated by the photo of the woman shopping?The postwar economy allowed a much larger number of Americans to live comfortable, middle-class lives. Families that had previously been able to buy only what they needed now had money to spend on luxuries. Advertisers offered all kinds of new and tantalizing products and services, presenting them not as luxuries but as essentials to a good life. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. The nation’s major advertising agencies began to pay attention. They pursued the new teenage market intently, desiring to capture and profit from its interests and influence. Think about ways advertisers try to convince us that the things we want are actually the things we need. How do they try to persuade us that we need things we didn’t realize we even wanted? What are some examples of products you may consider luxuries, but advertisers call essentials to living the good life? Select the link to read about how car culture and consumerism changed basic ways of life for many Americans during the 1950s. Then answer the following questions: How did car manufacturers try to convince drivers they should purchase a new car frequently? How did the car culture affect the travel industry? How did the car culture affect the way Americans dined out and entertained themselves? The Golden Era of Car Culture Select the link to check your answers. Answers Text adapted from OpenStax U.S. History.The Growth of Television As you can see from this advertisement, the idea of a television remote control seemed like pure science fiction to most people. At least, that’s what the advertisers hoped! One trend that grew in popularity throughout the 1950s was television ownership. There were only 178,000 televisions in homes in 1948. By 1955, more than 750,000 U.S. households owned a television. 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. The marketing of small folding tray tables and frozen “TV dinners” encouraged such behavior. A variety of programs were broadcast on the small handful of major networks. Programming included soap operas, situation comedies, variety shows, game shows, talk shows, medical dramas, adventure series, cartoons, and police procedurals. Many comedies presented an idealized image of white suburban family life. These programs featured happy-housewife mothers, all-knowing fathers, and mischievous but not dangerously rebellious children. Shows such as Leave It to Beaver and Father Knows Best were highly popular in the late 1950s. 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. 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. Think about the television shows you watch now, and then conduct a safe internet search to learn more about popular programs of the 1950s. Choose one to research, and consider the following questions: In what ways is the program similar to those that air on television today? How is it different? If you had to create an updated revival of the program, what would you change? Text adapted from OpenStax U.S. History.The Beats The Beat poets introduced Americans to a new type of writing and a new and more cynical view of materialism and the consumerist mentality. Not everyone bought into the image of a wholesome, prosperous modern America. 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. 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. The group included Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and William Burroughs. By the 1950s, the “Beats” were established in New York City and San Francisco. 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 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. 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? Select the link to check your answer.-COULD YOU SUMMURIZE THIS INTO 20 SHORT BULLET POINTS?
- Advertising became more prevalent after WWII, targeting not just basic needs but also tastes and dreams
- Postwar prosperity in the US led to a rise in consumerism and the popularity of new products
- Television played a significant role in shaping American culture and ideals, drawing people together
- The rise of popular culture challenged traditional values and norms of the time
- The 1950s saw a shift back to prewar roles for women, with many leaving the workforce
- Women faced discrimination in the workplace, both in pay and job opportunities
- The postwar economy allowed for more Americans to live comfortable, middle-class lives
- Conformity and consumerism became defining factors of the American family in the 1950s
- Advertisers pushed products as essentials to a good life, leading to increased spending on luxuries
- The growth of television ownership in the 1950s changed family dynamics and habits
- Television programs portrayed idealized images of white suburban family life
- The Beat movement emerged as a response to the consumerist mentality of postwar America
- Beat poets rejected the direction of postwar America, introducing a more cynical view
- Lawrence Ferlinghetti's City Lights Bookstore became a hub for the Beat movement
- Allen Ginsberg's poem "Howl" and Jack Kerouac's novel "On the Road" were influential works of the Beat movement
- The term "beatnik" was coined in 1958 as a derogatory term for nonconformists, but is now less negative
- The Beats rejected the materialism and conformity of mainstream American culture
- The 1950s saw a rise in teenage consumerism and influence over parental purchases
- The car culture of the 1950s influenced travel, dining out, and entertainment habits
- American families in the 1950s were portrayed as having a husband as the breadwinner, a stay-at-home wife, and well-adjusted children