2. o Late 1940s through to the early 1960s o Became the largest generation in America’s history 1957- a baby was born every 7 seconds!

3. o Husbands return home from war (in 1945) o Age in which couples marry decreases o New desirability for larger families o Economic prosperity

4. o Suburban growth with economic expansion and prosperity o Desirable option for many returning war veterans o Based on the fulfillment of the ‘American Dream’ and the ‘good life’ o Stimulated by white migration out of busy, ‘corrupt’ cities o Residents were mostly white and of the middle class

5. o William Levitt o 1947-1951 housing development o first mass produced suburb o low monthly cost, no down payment

6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx6JSJ3l-qg

7. o Families have more money o New homes required the purchasing of new goods o ‘Keeping up with the Jones’ o Consumption fulfilled idea of the ‘good life’ o Material goods were a symbol of status and success o The production of new appliances (vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, etc.) re-emphasized prominent social ideals

9. o Americans bought over 60 million cars in a short 10 year span o Influential in the development of suburbia o Rise of new services and access to leisure activities o Interstate Highway system

11. o Bright colours o Poodle skirts o The bikini o Men grew hair longer o Beehive and Ponytail hairstyles were popular among women

12. o Hula Hoop o Frisbee o Barbie o Mr. Potato Head o Candyland, Chutes & Ladders o Superman, Batman Comics o Change in childhood experiences (contrast to previous generations)

13. o Became the dominant form of entertainment o Number of American families with TV sets grew from 8 million – 42 million over 1 decade o Ownership was a symbol of prosperity (especially for families with the new colour TV set) o Programs presented viewers with messages about social norms o Television advertising began to surge also re-emphasizing societal ideals

14. o Sitcoms (Leave it to Beaver, Father Knows Best) o Musicals (American Bandstand) o Comedy (Ed Sullivan Show) Additional Resource: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqMQDb9aG4A

15. o Era of Rock n Roll domination o Mix of Rhythm & Blues with Country Western o Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Elvis Presley o Growth of the Electric Guitar o Concern from parents about controversial lyrics and impact of music on teenagers Additional Resource: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOvUdZgl7vo&feature=related

16. o Rise of science fiction film o Adolescent targets (James Dean, “Rebel Without A Cause”) o Musicals: “Oklahoma!”, “Singin’ in the Rain”

17. o Culture of rebellious teenagers (defy social norms) o Anti-materialistic literary movement o Non-conformity o Howl (1956), On the Road (1957)

18. o DNA structure discovered (1953) o Polio Vaccine (1955) o Sputnik 1 launched/ U.S. Explorer 1 launched (1957) o Organization of NASA

19. o Women urged to leave the workplace after WW2 or were laid off o Pressure for women to stay at home o Return to traditional roles for women o Emphasis put on expectations by the mass media o Gender segregated jobs o Idea of men as the breadwinners Additional Resource: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq_9wu-KjTk