1. The American Dream in the 1950s
Mr. Goddard | PLUSH | Chapter 19 Section 2

2. Warm-up
On your Chapter 19 Section 2 Notes define the following key terms:
Conglomerate
Franchise
Baby boom
Consumerism
Planned Obsolescence
Insert a map of your country.

3. What you are learning today
11.8 Students analyze the economic boom and social transformation of post–World War II America.
1. Trace the growth of service sector, white collar, and professional sector jobs in business and government.
7. Describe the effects on society and the economy of technological developments since 1945, including the computer revolution, changes in communication, advances in medicine, and improvements in agricultural technology.
Insert a picture of one of the geographic features of your country.

4. What was the organization?
1950s BUSINESSES expanded rapidly.
People moved from Blue Collar to White Collar Jobs.
Less Manufacturing
More Sales and Advertising
Insert a picture illustrating a season in your country.

5. Why did Conglomerates rise during the 1950s?
Large Companies or Government Agencies that grew by purchasing different companies that did different things.
Protected companies by moving into different areas of the economies.
These companies had more influence on the world. TRANSNATIONAL

6. How did FRANCHISES Help businesses Grow?
Some businesses grew through FRANCHISING.
Parent company sells an individual the right to operate their business in a place or area
McDonalds – Ray Kroc
Insert a picture of an animal and/or plant found in your country.

7. What was social conformity?
Workers were more standardized – loss of individuality because people wanted $.
“Don’t Rock the Corporate Boat”
The Organization Man
Personality Test – Fit in to corporate culture?
Larger Question:
What the American Dream costing too much as conformity was more important than individuality/creativity?

8. What was the suburban lifestyle?
Job security was important
Wanted to give family the “Good Things in Life”
Worked in cities but lived in suburbs
Cheap Cars
Cheap Gas
New roads and Highways
Suburban Areas = American Dream
Single Family House, Good Schools for the kids, Safe & Healthy environment & neighbors just like them!

9. What was the baby boom?
Soldiers returned home and settled into new family life.
Had lots of babies between late 1940s and early 1960s
One baby was born every 7 seconds!
Baby Boom Generation was the largest in US history.

10. What made the baby boom happen?
Men return from War and see wives
Decreasing marriage age rate
Idea of large families
Confidence in economy
Advances in Medicine

11. How did medicine help? Dr. Jonas Salk – Polio Cure
Dr. Spock – Told Parents how to raise their children {Don’t spank kids}
Children were healthier and lived more

12. How did women’s roles change?
Homemaker & mother role glorified.
Magazines, Movies & TV reinforced this view.
Women did work but career opportunities were limited.
Earned less than men for same work.
More went to college but did not receive the encouragement that men got.

13. Organizations: How did people have fun? Brownies Cub Scouts
More leisure time than ever
40 hour work week
Vacation time
Conveniences saved time
Fishing, Bowling, Hunting, Boating & Golf
Went to baseball and football games
Watched sports on TV
Read a lot
Organizations:
Brownies
Cub Scouts
Girl Scouts
Boy Scouts
Little league baseball

14. What was the automobile culture?
Auto-mania
People needed cars in the suburbs – not much public transportation, jobs were in the cities, services were not within walking distance.
Interstate Highway System
Eisenhower 1956 – Interstate Highway Act
Nationwide road network
41,000 of expressways
Led to more cities with more suburbs
Mobility caused issues
Pollution, accidents, traffic,
Rich whites left cities and started business closer to the suburbs

15. Why was Consumerism unbound?
Consumerism – Buying material goods = success
New Products
Various companies and industry reacted to new customer demand
Stuff to save time – Machine Machines Dyers Blenders
With more time leisure items – TVs Tape Players Power Lawn mowers, casual clothing.
New Marketing Strategy
Planned Obsolescence – designed products that would wear out so people had to buy more.
“Throw-away Society”

16. What was “Buy now Pay Later”?
Credit Cards
Dinners Club
American Express
Installment Plans continue
People put stuff of credit because they were confident about the economy
Just like in the late 1920s

17. Check for understanding
1. During the 1950s, ___ jobs declined. A. manufacturing B. advertising C. communications D. Service 2. With more money to spend and an increased number of products to buy, ___ became an American way of life. A. consumerism B. social conformity C. planned obsolescence D. a 40-hour work week
3. One disadvantage of standardization in American business was that it A. led to a lower standard of living. B. discouraged individuality. C. lowered profits. D. was less efficient. 4. The group that benefited most from the economy and culture of the 1950s was A. African-American women. B. African-American men. C. white women. D. white men.

18. Check for understanding - Answers
1. During the 1950s, ___ jobs declined. A. manufacturing B. advertising C. communications D. Service 2. With more money to spend and an increased number of products to buy, ___ became an American way of life. A. consumerism B. social conformity C. planned obsolescence D. a 40-hour work week
3. One disadvantage of standardization in American business was that it A. led to a lower standard of living. B. discouraged individuality. C. lowered profits. D. was less efficient. 4. The group that benefited most from the economy and culture of the 1950s was A. African-American women. B. African-American men. C. white women. D. white men.