POST WORLD WAR 2 AMERICA Post-War America 7.6: Analyze the causes and consequences of social and culture changes in postwar America, including educational programs, the consumer culture and expanding suburbanization, the advances in medical and agricultural technology that led to changes in the standard of living and demographic patterns, and the roles of women in American Society.

POST WORLD WAR 2 AMERICA Vocabulary G.I. Bill Suburbanization White Flight Consumerism “Feminine Mystique”

POST WORLD WAR 2 AMERICA Baby Boom Baby Boom: economic prosperity led to rapid increase in the birthrate

POST WORLD WAR 2 AMERICA Education New educational opportunities expanded the middle-class and narrowed the gap between the rich and poor. G.I. Bill: gave veterans money to attend colleges to learn skills, contributed to economic growth Increase in children put a strain on the educational system and led to the creation of more schools Prosperity allowed people to stay in school longer and increased the number of men and women who attended college.

POST WORLD WAR 2 AMERICA Sputnik Launch of Sputnik led to an increased emphasis on quality math and science education Also, began the demand for students to take standardized tests each year

POST WORLD WAR 2 AMERICA Suburbanization Suburbanization: migration of people out of downtown areas and into the surrounding communities

POST WORLD WAR 2 AMERICA Suburbanization G.I. Bill also gave veterans loans to start businesses Availability of automobiles and the creation of Interstate Highway Act increased suburbanization. Shopping malls, motels, gas stations, and fast food restaurants popped up along the highways Baby boom also contributed to suburbanization, larger families needed more room

POST WORLD WAR 2 AMERICA Migration Patterns African Americans moved from the South during and after the war to escape poverty and racism White Flight: as African Americans moved into cities, whites moved out to the suburbs As middle and upper class people migrated towards the suburbs  businesses and jobs also  Led to race riots of the 1960s

POST WORLD WAR 2 AMERICA Consumerism Consumerism- social and economic climate that promotes the purchasing of goods and services

POST WORLD WAR 2 AMERICA 1950s Advertisements

POST WORLD WAR 2 AMERICA Consumerism Demand for products that were unaffordable or unavailable previously created a markets for a wide variety of goods and services Baby Boom encouraged parents to buy for their growing families. Demand led to increased production, more jobs, and an economic boom

POST WORLD WAR 2 AMERICA Economic Growth Government increased spending on weapons, military, and defense industries hired more workers Most new jobs were white-collar (professional or managerial) rather than blue-collar (industrial)

POST WORLD WAR 2 AMERICA Medical Advances Penicillin: first antibiotic, considered a “wonder drug,” encourages more medical research Scientists developed various vaccines to prevent diseases such as polio Surgeons developed new techniques and procedures including heart surgery Medical advancements led to increased life expectancy for Americans

POST WORLD WAR 2 AMERICA Agricultural Advancements High demand for food products led to new agricultural technology Use of pesticides and fertilizers provided a greater variety of foods and improved nutrition Small family farms consolidated into large commercial farms Reliance of chemicals had adverse effects on the environment which led to environmental debates and legislation

POST WORLD WAR 2 AMERICA Women’s Roles Women’s roles in the workplace during the war laid the foundation for the women’s rights movement Women were forced out of their jobs by returning veterans Most women returned to their traditional roles of wives and mothers Women became the chief consumer of the household and advertisements targeted them by glorifying the traditional role of homemaker

POST WORLD WAR 2 AMERICA Feminine Mystique Suburban living increased women’s feelings of isolation and many found their lives unfulfilling 40% of women held jobs outside of their homes but their career opportunities were limited to “womanly” jobs Few women earned managerial positions and were paid much less than men The Feminine Mystique, published by Betty Freidan, argued that many women were unhappy with traditional roles and wanted to live more fulfilling lives