1. Chapter 19 Section 2 Notes The American Dream of the 1950s

2. What was “The Dream” in the 1950s?
Happily married couple
male = white collar “breadwinner”
female = “homemaker”
2 – 3 kids with a dog
New family car, modern appliances
live in new suburban neighborhood
Was this achieved by most Americans?
NO! But a lot of people wanted it.
In many cases, they still do.

3. The Changing Work Force in the 1950s
fewer blue collar jobs
manual labor
Anything Industrial
Construction
Mining
Railroads
Pay began to decrease
- Typically less educated
more white collar jobs
Management & Office type positions
Communications
Insurance
Sales
Advertising
wear a tie to work
Pay began to increase
Typically more educated
WHY the change? = AUTOMATION

4. The Typical White – Collar Employee
someone that “fits in” (think Robot)
teamwork, cooperation, loyalty are valued
Conformity to existing procedures
Creativity is generally frowned upon
Individuality and questioning authority
could get you fired
William Whyte’s The Organization Man
Book that describes how successful
companies became this way

6. Business Expansion during the 1950s
Successful American companies become bigger
Corporation
A business organization owned by a group of stockholders, each of whom enjoys limited liability (that is, each can be held responsible for losses only up to the limit of his or her investment).
A corporation has the ability to raise $$$ by selling stock to the public.
By 1960, The Top 600 U.S. Corporations (½ % of all American companies) accounted for over 50% of all American Business Income.

7. 3 Ways Corporations Get Big
1. Conglomerate
One company with several unrelated businesses.
Example = General Electric
Appliances, Light Bulbs, Phones, Aircraft Engines, TV, Health Care Stuff, etc…
Why do Corporations do this?
More $$$
Safety
If 1 does bad,
others will cover

8. 5 Major Conglomerates Today

9. 2. Multinationals Sell stuff to and operate in more than one country.
After WWII, more U.S. companies do this due to improvements in transportation and communication as well as increased interest in American products

10. McDonald’s currently
Operates in over 120
Different Countries

11. 3. Franchises
a corporation granting a license to an individual or group to market its products or services at a specific location.
Most Popular Types
Fast Food
Gas Stations

12. What company made franchising popular?
McDonalds
Ray Kroc
Bought the company from the McDonald’s brothers for $2.7 million in 1961
Began to license out franchises to interested businesspeople
Today… most of McDonalds 35,000 restaurants are franchises

13. What allows businesses to get big?
Consumerism
Businesses encouraging people to go out and buy stuff
How?
Planned Obsolescence
Businesses selling people something, knowing that it will become outdated in very little time
Advertising through all forms of media (radio, TV, print media, billboards)
Convincing people that they needed the newest products
Making credit easy to get (borrowing $$$ to buy stuff)
Installment plans directly with a business
Credit Cards (1st one – Diner’s Club – 1950)

15. A Growing Population – “The Baby Boom” (1945 – 1964)
birth rate in U.S. increases due to
married couples anxious to “reunite” after the war
an increase in marriages before and after WWII
a generally good economy = more kids
better medical practices = more live births
effects of the Baby Boom at that time
greater demand for toys
more schools built
more teachers needed
Market products for “teenagers”
1st time word used = mid 1950s
Suburbs grow (no space in cities)
Effects of the Baby Boom now
Health Care needs
Retirement demands
1st one
founded
In 1948

19. 2 Important Doctors Dr. Jonas Salk Dr. Benjamin Spock
developed polio vaccine
Dr. Benjamin Spock
Wrote Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care
No spanking (time outs instead)
Mothers should stay home with kids

20. Women’s Role in Society
Homemaker and Child Care Provider at 1st
By late 1950’s, 40% of women with kids in school work outside of home
Get paid less for same work as men
Limited job opportunities
Lower pay = servants, waitress, etc…
Higher pay = nursing, teaching, secretarial
No white – collar office careers

21. Increased Leisure Time in the 1950’s
Why?
greater productivity = lower hrs worked (40 hrs a week)
improved technology = decreased the time needed to do daily things
Drive
Do all kinds of housework
activities people engaged in
sports (watching & playing)
reading (adults & kids)
Various hobbies

22. Automobiles after WWII
Several reasons to buy at least 1 new car
New models go faster, looked nicer
Most cars from the 1930s were outdated
Companies didn’t sell cars during WWII
Lower gas prices
Cars affordable due to easy credit
Suburb life = you needed a car
Very little public transportation offered
People needed to drive to work in cities
People needed to get to stores
Bottom line = Car ownership more than doubles!
Registered cars in 1945 = 25 million
Registered cars in 1960 = 60 million

23. Interstate Highway Act (1956)
created over 40,000 miles of expressways (took 35 yrs to finish)
Positives
Sped up development of suburbs
Made transportation quicker
trucking products (less railroads)
Created many new jobs
Restaurants, motels, shopping malls, etc…
Made it easier to vacation
Negatives (?)
Did some areas “lose their identity”?
Environmental issues
Deadlier auto accidents
increased stress (traffic)
“White Flight” (Sect. 4)