1. What is the American Dream?

2. The Fifties CH.19.2 & 19.3

3. The American Dream and the Fifties The economy grew rapidly in the 1950s. By 1956, more Americans were white-collar workers in offices than were in blue-collar factory jobs. White-collar workers were paid better. They usually worked in service industries, such as sales and communications. Businesses also expanded. They formed conglomerates, or major corporations that own smaller companies in unrelated industries. What’s an example of a conglomerate? Other businesses expanded by franchising. A franchise is a company that offers similar products or services in many locations, such as a fast food restaurants.

4. What changes occurred in the American workforce in the 1950s?  Many Americans enjoyed the benefits of the booming economy.  Many worked in cities but lived in suburbs.  They had the American dream of a single family home, good schools, and a safe neighborhood with people just like themselves.  There was an increase in births called the baby boom. It was caused by the reuniting of families after WWII and the growing economic prosperity.  Medical advances also helped create the baby boom. Some childhood diseases were wiped out. For example, Dr. Jonas Salk developed a vaccine to prevent polio. Polio had killed or crippled an average of 58,000 children a year. What U.S. president was crippled by polio?

5.  The baby boom created a need for more schools and products for children. Suburban family life revolved around children.  Many parents depended on advice from a popular baby-care book by Dr. Benjamin Spock. He said it was important that mothers stay home with their children. The role of home maker was also glorified in the media. But many women felt alone and bored at home. Not everyone was a happy housewife.  By 1960, 40% of mothers worked outside the home. But their career opportunities usually were limited to work in “women’s fields”. These included secretarial work, nursing, and teaching. Even if women did the same work as men, they were paid less. TODAY: The gender wage gap for full-time/year-round workers is 23.5 percent. Women's median annual earnings in 2012 were $37,791 compared with $49,398 for men. The gender wage gap has stayed essentially unchanged since 2001.

6. -Americans had more leisure time. -They spent time and money on leisure activities, such as sports. They also watched sports on television and read books and magazines. -Youth activities such as Scouts and Little League, became popular too. What was life like in the suburbs in the 1950s?

7. How did cars change American life?  Easy credit for buying cars and cheap gasoline led to a boom in automobile ownership. In the 1950s, the number of American cars on the road grew from 40 to 60 million.  A car was a necessity in the suburbs. There was no public transportation. People needed to drive to their jobs in the cities. They also had to drive to shop and do errands. Therefore, more and more roads were needed. In 1956, the U.S. began building a nationwide highway network. In turn, these roads allowed long-distance trucking. This lead to the decline in the railroads.  Americans LOVED to drive.  They went to drive-in restaurants and movies. They drove long distances on vacation. Motels and shopping malls were built to serve them. These new industries were good for the economy.  But the increase in driving also caused problems. These included stressful traffic jams and air pollution.  Many white people left the cities. Jobs and industries followed. This left mostly poor people in crowded inner cities.

8. What is consumerism? What is planned obsolescence? By the mid 1950s, nearly 60% of Americans were in the middle class. They had the money to buy more and more products. They measured success by their consumerism, or the amount of material goods they bought. American business flooded stores with new products. Consumers had money to spend and leisure rime. They bought household appliances like washing machines, dryers, and dishwashers, and recreational items such as television sets, barbecue grills, and swimming pools. Manufactures also tried a new marketing strategy called planned obsolescence. They purposely made products to become outdated or to wear out quickly. Americans began to throw away items in order to buy “new models”. Easy credit, including the introduction of credit cards, encouraged people to buy. Personal debt grew…

9. How was consumerism encouraged in the 1950s?  The 1950s were “the advertising age”. Ads were everywhere- even on the new medium of television.  They tried to persuade Americans to buy things they didn’t need. They appealed to people’s desire for status and for a sense of belonging. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7t9YlMxWoE

10. New Era of Mass Media  Mass media is the means of communication that reaches large audiences. It includes radio, television, newspapers, and magazines. Social networks are a modern example of mass media.  In the 1950s television became the most important means of communication. It both showed and influences popular culture.  The number of homes with television jumped. It went from 9% of all homes in 1950 to 90% of homes in 1960.  At first, the number of television stations was limited by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC is the government agency that regulates the communications industry. Soon, however, TV stations spread across the country. Many shows became widely popular all over the nation.

11. The 1950s were “the golden age of television”. Comedy shows starring Milton Berle and Lucille Ball were popular. Edward R. Murrow introduced on-the- scene reporting and interviews. There were westerns, sports events, and dramas. At first all shows were broadcast live. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NPzL BSBzPI

12. Was the picture of America portrayed accurately on television?  Advertisers took advantage of this new medium, especially of its children’s shows. Young fans wanted to buy everything that was advertised on their favorite shows. TV magazines and TV dinners (frozen meals to heat and eat) became very popular.  Television reflected the mainstream values of white suburban America. These values were secure jobs, material success, well-behaved children, and conformity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULK_PNaS6d0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULK_PNaS6d0  Critics objected to the stereotypes of women and minorities. Women were shown as happy, ideal mothers. Blacks and Latinos hardly appeared at all on television. In short, TV showed an idealized white America. It ignored poverty, diversity, and problems such as racism.  As dramas and comedies moved to TV, radio changed. It began to focus on news, weather, music, and local issues. The radio industry did well. Advertising increased and so did the number of stations.  The movie industry suffered from competition by television. The number of moviegoers dropped 50%. But Hollywood fought back. It responded by using color, stereophonic sound, and the wide screen to create spectacular movies.

13. Subcultures Emerge  Television showed the suburban way of life. But subcultures presented other points of view.  One was the beat movement in literature. These writers made fun of the conformity and materialism of mainstream America. Their followers were called beatniks. They rebelled against consumerism and the suburban lifestyle. They did not hold steady jobs and lived inexpensively. They read their poetry in coffee houses. Their art and poetry had a free, open form.  Some musicians also took a ne direction. They added electronic instruments to the African American music called Rhythm and Blues. The result was Rock ‘n’ Roll.  Rock n Roll had a strong beat. It’s lyrics focused on the interests of teenagers, including the unhappiness sometimes found in love… and teenagers responded. They bought millions of records. T  The biggest star of all know as the King of Rock n Roll was Elvis Presley. He had 45 songs that sold more than one million copies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGZm7EOamWk

14. How did blacks influence the entertainment industry of the 1950s?  Some adults criticized Rock n Roll. They said it would lead to teenage crime and immorality. But television and radio helped bring Rock n Roll into the mainstream.  Many of the great performers of the 1950s were black. Nat “King” Cole, Lena Horne, Harry Belafonte, and Sidney Poitier were popular with white audiences. They led the way for later African American stars.  Jazz musicians like Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie also entertained audiences of both races.  But the most popular black performers of the fifties were the early Rock n Roll stars, like Little Richard and Chuck Berry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLV4NGpoy_Ehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLV4NGpoy_E  TV was slow to integrate. One of the first programs to do so was Dick Clark’s popular Rock n Roll show American Bandstand. In 1957, American Bandstand showed both black couples and white couples on the dance floor.  Before integration reached radio audiences, there were stations that aimed specifically at African American listeners. They played the popular black artists of the day. They also served advertisers who wanted to reach black audiences.