Study.com has thousands of articles about every Americans tend to have very distinct impressions of the 1950s, but why? Popular culture. The Affluent Society Quotes Showing 1-10 of 10 “Wealth is not without its advantages and the case to the contrary, although it has often been made, has never proved widely persuasive. When we think of the idyllic years of American history, few decades come as readily to … Although the most popular television programs were situation comedies (I Love Lucy), game shows (The $64,000 Question), and adult westerns ( Gunsmoke), television in the 1950s was not the “vast wasteland” that critics often claimed. The Affluent Society Summary. All rights reserved. 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My thesis: The noted Harvard economist John Kenneth Galbraith described America of the 1950s and 60s as the “affluent society.” Despite fears of a recurring depression after World War II, the US economy grew dramatically in the postwar era largely due to military spending and the explosion of new technology. Chapter 29. Americans had more discretionary income, and they spent it on cars, homes, television sets, and an array of other household appliances. As relevant today as when it was first published over forty years ago, this newly updated edition of Galbraith's classic text on the 'economics of abundance', lays bare the hazards of individual and social complacen He was a prolific author and wrote four dozen books, including several novels, and published more than a thousand articles and essays on various subjects. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. To understand just what this wealth meant to Americans of the 1950s, we have to go back a few decades. The economy had fully transitioned out of wartime production and was only continuing to grow. In 1954, Congress added the words “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance, and the phrase “In God We Trust” was included on all U.S. currency in the following year. Sheen had a weekly television program called Life is Worth Living, and Graham's crusades were later televised as well. Drawing the largest audience of teenage television viewers was Dick Clark's American Bandstand, a program showcasing the music of rock 'n' roll. "The Affluent Society" was originally written in the still largely manufacturing-dominated economy of the 1950's. You can test out of the The American economy grew at an incredible rate in the 1950s, and more Americans benefited from it than ever before. In this lesson, we'll explore the influence of wealth in this era and see how it defined a generation. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Chiefly, those fruits came out of roots thatAmericans had seeded earlier during and recently after the World War was over. In fact, Eisenhower supported some components of the New Deal, such as Social Security, whose coverage was expanded to the self‐employed, farm workers, and military personnel; and the federal minimum wage, which rose to $1 an hour during his administration. The youth explosion • Very much part of the affluent society was the rise of youth culture, a completely new situation for western society including British society. Television replaced the radio as the dominant form of home entertainment. csaunders3921. larger social problems. Advances in medicine included new antibiotics and, perhaps most important, a successful vaccine against poliomyelitis, a disease that had crippled millions of children. The group to benefit most directly from the affluence of the 1950s was white males. PLAY. By 1960, more than 60 percent of Americans owned their own homes, and three quarters of the households in the country had television sets. It's also important for us to remember that 1950s affluence was not detached from world affairs. After surviving the Great Depression and World War II, Americans were ready to not only enjoy their wealth but also to display it. An Affluent Society. study Why did American citizens begin to think of themselves as a middle-class nation during the 1950's? Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you View 3 The 1950s Affluent Society.pptx from HIST 153 at West Virginia University. The 1950s Family Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. 1950s was not a time of drudgery Blaming people who are seeking a better life in a more affluent society is not only futile, it is un-American. The moniker is both a reference to the increasing material wealth many Americans enjoyed and a tongue-in-cheek jab at the shortsightedness that led few to challenge the notion that all Americans were sharing equally in … Added to this was a sense of ultimate optimism. Advertising, mass circulation magazines such as Life, and television's situation comedies sent the message that women should focus on creating a beautiful home and raising a family. Rock 'n' roll grew out of the African‐American rhythm and blues (R & B) tradition when, around 1954, white singers began imitating R & B groups or melding R & B and country styles. The Affluent Society. To learn more, visit our Earning Credit Page. Anticommunism in the 1950s. Korean War overview. This was the era of Leave it to Beaver, I Love Lucy, and Father Knows Best. For one, American families could finally put their money into luxuries. One of the most notable “roundups” of illegal immigrants occurred in Texas during the summer and fall of 1954 when 80,000 Mexicans were deported in Operation Wetback. Suburban America. •The 1950s changed the American family as families grew larger and women entered the workforce. The average family income rose from $4,300 per year, to $6,000. Unemployment 5% or less 3. The unions accepted increases in salary and benefits in exchange … During and after World War II, for example, the bracero program brought Mexican workers to the United States to work on American farms. •The period between 1945 and 1961 is known as the baby boom, in which more than 65 million children were born in the United States. Elvis Presley. Although union membership began to drop late in the decade, organized labor made significant gains. Get the unbiased info you need to find the right school. Millions were deported in 1953–55 when a recession made having jobs available for American citizens essential. In fact, some families even had two cars! Previous Modern Republicanism. In later decades, Americans have tended to look back on the 1950s and early 1960s as something of a golden age: an era of boundless prosperity, of social stability, of national optimism and confidence. К ОГЛАВЛЕНИЮ . In 1962, The Other America was published a. "postwar contract". Despite inflation, those few words have a meaning as true today as when they were first spoken. Anyone can earn Factory employment declined because of improvements in productivity and technology, while the number of white‐collar jobs in the clerical, sales, and service sectors grew. Is a Master's Degree in Chemical Engineering Worth It? The thing is that this wasn't just propaganda. We tend to remember this period as idyllic, but was it really as perfect as it seems? CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. The fact that so many women worked outside the home ran counter to the myth in popular culture that emphasized the importance of traditional gender roles. For middle‐class Americans, the 1950s were a time of prosperity. The number of women working outside the home increased significantly in the '50s. Galbraith asserts tha… Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1958. Quiz & Worksheet - The 1950's Affluent Society, Over 83,000 lessons in all major subjects, {{courseNav.course.mDynamicIntFields.lessonCount}}, Post-War Europe: the Berlin Airlift & the Marshall Plan, Post-War Asia: Korea's Partition & Reconstruction of Japan's Government, Post-War Soviet Union & Eastern Europe: The Descent of the Iron Curtain, Post-War American Politics: Foreign & Domestic Policy, Post-War American Life: Culture of the late 1940s & 1950s, Truman's Fair Deal & Economics After WWII, Dwight D. Eisenhower vs. Adlai Stevenson: The Election of 1952, Science & Technology in the U.S. in the 1950s, Post-Civil War U.S. History: Help and Review, Biological and Biomedical C. What were the major thrusts of the civil rights movement in this period? flashcard set{{course.flashcardSetCoun > 1 ? 29/03/2016 Age of Affluence 1955 to 1976 51 52. Because poverty was not recognized as a national problem until the 1960s, federal policy in the 1950s often contributed to the situation rather than to help resolve it. Eisenhower's modern Republicanism embraced two major public works projects — the St. Lawrence Seaway and the interstate highway system. Although some Republicans hoped that Eisenhower would dismantle all of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal programs, the president realized that doing so was neither possible nor desirable. Extract of sample "Affluent Society 1950" Affluent Society Post World War era in America had brought a number of opportunities for economic boom. By the 1950s, this was no longer true in the United States and some European countries, Galbraith wrote. The Seaway, a joint American‐Canadian effort completed in 1959, gave ocean‐going ships access to the Great Lakes. In fact, the average American male was making enough money in this capitalist economy that he could sustain a family on a single income. 's' : ''}}. Home ownership was a privilege of the middle class, and with more working class families accessing this level of wealth, the ability to buy a house was nearly sacred. Log in here for access. Not sure what college you want to attend yet? As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 83,000 Select a subject to preview related courses: After World War II, the brothers William and Alfred Levitt decided to take their home-building business to new heights by producing the first planned communities of mass-produced houses. Are you sure you want to remove #bookConfirmation# Letter to … 251-253, 329-333. Flashcards. "The Affluent Society" barely mentions foreign competition. By the end of the 1950s, it was $503 billion. Gravity. The Interstate Highway Act, passed in 1956, authorized the federal government to finance 90 percent of the cost of building the interstate system through a tax on automobiles, parts, and gasoline that went into the Highway Trust Fund. Sciences, Culinary Arts and Personal B. The United States was fully committed to the Cold War by the middle of this decade. Labor in the Fifties.The composition of the labor force changed dramatically in the 1950s. Despite charges that it was “race music” and contributed to juvenile delinquency, performers such as Bill Haley and the Comets (“Rock Around the Clock”) and, most notably, Elvis Presley made rock 'n' roll a youth music phenomenon. Galbraith's phrase "conventional wisdom," a key concept introduced in The Affluent Society, has entered common parlance so pervasively that it is now used to describe a variety of concepts not necessarily related to economic theory. Modern Republicanism represented a pragmatic approach to domestic policy. Already registered? Is a PhD in Electrical Engineering Worth It? After WWII, many returning servicemen were able to go to college and get advanced education using the GI bill— that led to them being able to get better jobs. This was a big change from the Depression 20 years earlier. The internal strife within the union movement ended in 1955 with the merging of the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations into the AFL‐CIO. Although people were willing to drive or take public transportation to work, they were not willing to go to the city to shop. Google Classroom Facebook Twitter. Chris has a master's degree in history and teaches at the University of Northern Colorado. Bush. The Korean War. How were the 1950s a period of consensus in both domestic policies and foreign affairs? For example, new machinery built during the war could build a car in half the time, thus reducing the vehicle's cost. By 1950, those GIs from 1945 had gone to college, graduated, and opened their own businesses. Create an account to start this course today. In 1958, Harvard economist and public intellectual John Kenneth Galbraith published The Affluent Society. courses that prepare you to earn Mr. Harold Macmillan's phrase 'never had it so good' echoed throughout the realm. Inflation averaged about 3% 4. Established in 1950s with the help of Walter Reuther. just create an account. While noting the unparalleled riches of American economic growth, it criticized the underlying structures of an economy dedicated only to increasing production and the consumption of goods. In the 1950s, financial prosperity allowed young Americans to participate in a shared culture of rock and roll music, movies, and television. Chronicles of the continuing existence of poverty in America Rock 'n' roll also helped to bring black artists such as Chuck Berry into the entertainment mainstream. © 2020 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. Things that happened from 1945-1960. Removing #book# It was a perfect storm. Also, unions were on the rise, making wages for blue-collar work more supportive. John Kenneth Galbraith's international bestseller The Affluent Society is a witty, graceful and devastating attack on some of our most cherished economic myths. Further, it became the base of future economic and marketing development of American society which helped America to soon reach at the status of an economic superpower. Is a PhD in Biomedical Engineering Worth It? The Affluent Society. First, I will examine the influences shaping the choices of teenagers living in an affluent society during the early days of the Cold War, specifically 1950 - 1955. But while the Affluent Society the pressure to conform was intense, many Americans in the 1950s took larger steps to reject conformity and domesticity. Television sets became a staple of American life for the first time, as did cars. Sitcoms painted American society as idyllic, and Americans could afford to believe that was true. As the number of cars increased, so did the demand for gasoline and better roads. credit-by-exam regardless of age or education level. Complete summary of John Kenneth Galbraith's The Affluent Society. Since then, the growth-driven, product-oriented economic framework developed by Smith and Ricardo amid pervasive poverty has no doubt become even more profoundly out of date in the post-industrial economy. Women were pushed out of the workplace to make more room for men, and encouraged to take on roles as housewives and mothers, not breadwinners. Evangelist Billy Graham, Protestant minister Norman Vincent Peale, and Roman Catholic Bishop Fulton J. Sheen emerged as the spokespersons for the revival, and they used the newest mass medium — television — to carry their message to millions of Americans. The Affluent Society. and any corresponding bookmarks? New technologies of wartime made production quicker and cheaper. . The 1950s. Segregation was still legal in the United States in the 1950s, and many companies who built suburbs advertised them as white utopias. 1950s America. Did you know… We have over 220 college The influx of people to the suburbs that began after World War II continued unabated throughout the... Labor in the Fifties. The single biggest symbol of affluence, however, was the home itself. Most of these men were veterans, who took full advantage of veteran benefits and carved a niche for themselves into 1950s society. Many of the ideas present… The American industrial economy had fully recovered its strength by building ships and planes for the war, and that infrastructure could now be transitioned into commercial production. | {{course.flashcardSetCount}} An error occurred trying to load this video. Wikimedia. Home ownership was the ultimate symbol of 1950s affluence, ideally paired with commuting into the city and working in a white collar job. For example, Eisenhower focused on reducing the federal budget, which included cutting farm subsidies, abolishing the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, keeping inflation in check, and promoting private rather than public development of the nation's energy resources. African American families didn't qualify for the mortgages to build these new homes. Affluent Society 1950..., as American Business expanded through the world, this class continued to spread. The basis of this perceived perfection was the belief that America was a place of unprecedented wealth and comfort. The Affluent Society (1958), John Kenneth Galbraith's most broadly influential book, stands out among works of economic analysis for its accessible writing style, which makes complex economic concepts and arguments understandable to the popular reader. However, the president's domestic agenda did reverse some New Deal trends. Spell. This affluence also became part of the Cold War against Soviet communism. New stoves, refrigerators, and countless other appliances filled the home's interior. Women continued to earn considerably less than men for doing the same job, regardless of whether they worked in a factory or office, or in a profession such as teaching or nursing. Money Attitude in the 1950s. The number of television sets in American homes grew from a few thousand at the end of World War II to nearly 46 million by 1960. Terms in this set (85) What did the Golden Age of America mask. They saw unemployment rates reach up to 25% in some places; they saw breadlines and government programs that had to create work for the masses. Services. Then, just as the Depression was starting to wane, America plunged into World War II in 1941. TV Guide became the nation's leading magazine, and food companies introduced frozen meals called TV dinners. credit by exam that is accepted by over 1,500 colleges and universities. . From Vice President to President: George H.W. Galbraith argued that the U.S. economy, based on an almost hedonistic consumption of luxury p… Television proved that it could be a potent force in shaping politics and public opinion. The composition of the labor force changed dramatically in the 1950s. Even with three recessions during the eight years of the Eisenhower administration, the country's per capita income rose and inflation remained low. Since then, the growth-driven, product-oriented economic framework developed by Smith and Ricardo amid pervasive poverty has no doubt become even more profoundly out of date in the post-industrial economy. Affluent society definition at Dictionary.com, a free online dictionary with pronunciation, synonyms and translation. Among his most famous works was a popular trilogy on economics, American Capitalism (1952), The Affluent Society … Women were forced out of the workplace to make room for the Gis, and African Americans were marginalized. In this ultimate act of irony, the affluence of the 1950s that represented American capitalism and democracy also oppressed American women to the home without a say of their own. imaginable degree, area of What were the main characteristics of the affluent society of the 1950s? The Affluent Society Levittown Cold-War Consensus Baby-Boomers An Affluent Society • A Why are the 1950s called the golden age of America? The end of the war saw a boom in the economy, and GIs returned to a compliment of benefits that guaranteed financial security. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. All rights reserved. The book sought to clearly outline the manner in which the post–World War II United States was becoming wealthy in the private sector but remained poor in the public sector, lacking social and physical infrastructure, and perpetuating income disparities. Poverty crossed color lines, affecting whites in rural Appalachia, Mexican‐American migrant farm workers in the Southwest and California, Native Americans on reservations, and inner‐city minorities, including blacks and Puerto Ricans. By 1960, nearly 40 percent of American women had joined the workforce, and married women with school‐age children represented a significant proportion of that number. REJECTED THE CONTRADICTIONS OF AN AFFLUENT SOCIETY IN FAVOR OF APOCALYPTIC ZOMBIES AND CHICKEN RUNS MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Robbie Lieberman The purpose of this study is two-fold. In 1945, America's GDP was $212 billion. Workers in many industries won settlements that linked wages to cost‐of‐living increases. The growth of these “bedroom” communities, where residents lived on the outskirts of town and commuted to work, meant that the automobile became more important than ever before. This resulted in a massive migration of American families out of the cities and into a brand new realm of society: the suburbs. When we think of the idyllic years of American history, few decades come as readily to mind as the 1950s. eNotes plot summaries cover all the significant action of The Affluent Society. The New Frontier and the Great Society. Email. Much of this consumer spending was done on credit, with bank loans, installment buying, and credit cards (which were introduced in 1950). . Created by. Search for: Civil Rights in an Affluent Society. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Plot Summary of “The Affluent Society” by John Kenneth Galbraith. After twenty years of saving and rationing, there seemed to be infinite abundance in the 1950s, and Americans were excited to celebrate it. The physical well being of Americans was as good as their economic health. The influx of people to the suburbs that began after World War II continued unabated throughout the 1950s. The United States experienced a religious revival in the 1950s, with more than 60 percent of Americans reporting they belonged to a church or synagogue, as opposed to less than 50 percent before World War II. 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In the 1950s and early '60s, it was inconceivable to most Americans that other countries could pose a … Is a Master's Degree in Civil Engineering Worth It? A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Visit the Post-Civil War U.S. History: Help and Review page to learn more. Write. It was a new world, and America was on top. People who enjoyed the '50s grew up during the Great Depression. Although the workers were expected to return to Mexico at the end of the harvest or the labor contract, many opted to stay and became illegal aliens. With a nationwide inoculation program, polio disappeared from the United States. Galbraith’s celebrated book examined America’s new post–World War II consumer economy and political culture. Get access risk-free for 30 days, The book sparked much public discussion at the time. For those who stayed home, the war meant voluntary rationing so that more supplies could be sent to the troops. The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ELIZABETH KNOWLES For example, Nixon's “Checkers” speech, which was carried on TV, kept him in the running for vice president in 1952, and the televised Army‐McCarthy hearings proved that the senator from Wisconsin was a dangerous demagogue, a point that was emphasized on Edward R. Murrow's See It Now exposé in 1954. What aided economic growth in the U.S. in the 1950s? Meanwhile, population growth slowed in cities and decreased in rural areas, and by 1960, nearly 40 percent of all Americans lived in suburbia. The Affluent Society (1950s) STUDY. © copyright 2003-2020 Study.com. For many Americans, this meant years living on military rations in armies dispersed across the world. Learn. GDP +250% 2. Although the economy grew in the 1950s, not everyone experienced prosperity. Dr. Jonas Salk announced his discovery of a polio vaccine in 1953, and four years later, Dr. Albert Sabin developed a vaccine that could be taken orally. The working class shrank as more and more Americans made it into the booming middle class. The King of Rock n Roll and also the megastar entertainer of the new youth culture of the 1950s. from your Reading List will also remove any Committed to limiting the role of the government in the economy, the administration was ready to act when circumstances demanded it. Create your account. The 1950s is remembered as an idyllic era, and that memory largely comes from the widespread and very visible affluence of the era. Test. Then the war ended. Michael Harrington's The Other America (1962) documented poverty in the United States and revealed that, by 1960, 35 million Americans lived below the poverty line (defined as a family of four with an annual income of less than $3,000). The 1950s was not a time of drudgery and poor wages but it saw the emergence of the affluent society after wartime austerity. A. The Affluent Society. The Other America. and career path that can help you find the school that's right for you. Despite the expansion of Social Security, older Americans often lived in substandard housing with inadequate food and medical care. ... occurred in the 1960s, the 1950s were a significant decade in the sometimes-tragic, sometimes-triumphant march of civil rights in the United States. The Affluent Society Suburban America. The writers of the Beat Generation expressed their disillusionment with capitalism, consumerism, and traditional gender roles by seeking a deeper meaning in life. America broadcast its affluence and perfection to the world, but there was something a littler darker lurking underneath. The final problem of the productive society is what it produces. And was it equally idyllic for everyone? The Eisenhower era. bookmarked pages associated with this title. Murrow's series, which ran from 1951 to 1958, also brought the plight of migrant farm workers to the attention of Americans. Historians have frequently applied the label “The Affluent Society” to 1950s America. Since Americans could now afford cars, they were able to work in the cities but live in these new suburbs. Black men of the time did not have the same opportunities. The 30‐year construction program skewed the nation's transportation policy in favor of cars and trucks and resulted in reduced spending on urban mass transit and railroads. ― John Kenneth Galbraith, The Affluent Society While these changes were subtle reminders of the ideological struggle of the Cold War (Americans believed in God; Communists were atheists), they also reflected the mood of the country. The Affluent Society is a 1958 (4th edition revised 1984) book by Harvard economist John Kenneth Galbraith. Good Americans participated in this affluence and demonstrated their capitalist values by buying new appliances. Despite Eisenhower's concern for fiscal responsibility, he was prepared to increase spending to get the country out of the 1953, 1957, and 1958 recessions. first two years of college and save thousands off your degree. Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course. Look it up now! succeed. The new bond between business leaders and now powerful unions. 1. Factory employment... Modern Republicanism. Not everything was quite as idyllic as it seemed. Throughout the 1950s, Americans were introduced to many technologies including calculators, smaller radios, the earliest computers, and cures for "incurable" diseases such as Polio, Tuberculosis, Cancer, and Heart disease. Consequently, shopping centers became a distinctive feature on the suburban landscape during the decade, and cities' central business districts showed signs of decline. Veterans were rewarded for their service with the most comprehensive set of benefits in American history, ranging from free college tuition to reduced mortgages and low-interest business loans. affluent society a society in which material wealth is widely distributed; often with allusion to the book of that title (1958) by the American economist John Kenneth Galbraith. This manifests itself in an implacable tendency to provide an opulent supply of some things and a niggardly yield of others. When prosperity returned in the mid‐1950s, so did invitations to Mexican guest workers. Working Scholars® Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. D. What was the significance of the presidential election of 1960? In the ideological conflict between capitalism and communism, affluence was a powerful symbol of American superiority. The Civil Rights Movement, Next It is also credited with popularizing the term "conventional wisdom". Match. {{courseNav.course.mDynamicIntFields.lessonCount}} lessons "The Affluent Society" was originally written in the still largely manufacturing-dominated economy of the 1950's. So, what did this affluence look like?