1. Mass Culture and Family Life
Chapter 17 Section 3
Mass Culture and Family Life

2. Objectives Explain why consumer spending increased
Discuss postwar changes in family life
Describe the rise of new forms of mass culture

3. Why it matters? Why do I care?
During the 1950’s, the ideal family was one in which men worked and supported their families and women stayed home and reared their children. Television and other forms of mass culture suggested that this ideal was the norm. Whether most American families actually lived like the ones they saw on prime-time television, however, remain unclear. The family values of the 1950’s still affect who we are and who we want to be
Section Focus Question: How did popular culture and family life change during the 1950’s?

4. Vocabulary p. 560 Consumerism Median family income Nuclear family
Benjamin Spock
rock-and-roll
Elvis Presley

5. Consumerism Large-scale buying, much of it on credit
What accounted for this spending?
More $
What was bought?
TV’s, 1945 no one owned a TV in U.S., in 1950 over 7,500,000 sold
Cars, 1945 only 70,000 cars built, in 1950 over 6,665,000 built

6. Median Family Income Measure of average family income
Went from $3,319 to $5,417

7. Nuclear Family
Ideal or typical household with a father, mother, and children

8. Benjamin Spock
American pediatrician, whose book Baby and Child Care, published in 1946, is one of the biggest best-sellers of all time. Its revolutionary message to mothers was that "you know more than you think you do."

9. Rock-and-Roll
Music originated in the gospel and blues traditions of African Americans
Chuck Berry The Official Site of Chuck Berry
Little Richard Early Rock and Roll: Little Richard - Picture and Sound Clip - MSN Encarta
Jerry Lee Lewis The Official Jerry Lee Lewis Website
Johnny Cash JohnnyCash.Com (THE OFFICIAL JOHNNY CASH SITE)

10. Elvis Presley January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977
Singer, musician, and actor
Blue Suede Shoes Video by Elvis Presley
Jailhouse Rock Video by Elvis Presley

11. American Bandstand
American Bandstand was a television show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, hosted from 1957 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer. The show featured teenagers dancing to Top-40 music introduced by Clark

12. New Forms of Mass Culture
Television
1945 No TV’s owned in the U.S., by 1950 over 7 million TV’s were bought

13. TV Shows
Felix the Cat

14. TV Shows
Popeye

15. TV Shows
Mickey Mouse Club

16. TV Shows
Howdy Doody

17. TV Shows
Leave it to Beaver

18. TV Show
I Love Lucy
TeacherTube - 1A I Love Lucy in Paris Matter of Translation

19. Chapter 17 Section 4 Questions
What were the main arguments of groups who rejected the culture of the 1950’s?
Why was J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye so popular with teens?
How did the actions of the beats show their concept for mainstream culture?
Why was Michael Harrington’s book The Other America such a shock to many Americans?
What transformation occurred in cities during the 1950’s?
How did federally subsidized housing for low-income people both help and hurt urban areas?
How did the federal government respond to the decline of American cities?
What were some problems that minorities had to overcome in the postwar era?