1.1 - Urbanisation and affluence - overview Flashcards
(12 cards)
1
Q
why was 1955-63 a period of unprecedented prosperity for most Americans?
A
- Larger homes
- More labour saving devices
- More cars
- Higher salaries
2
Q
what did the prosperity lead many Americans to feel?
A
- Lived in land of opportunity
- hard work improved LS and social status
3
Q
What did the unprecedented affluence of the period contribute to?
A
- Social and cultural changes
- Rapid suburbia growth + city decline
- Mass production of consumer goods and services
- Advertisement and mass communication had a growing role to ensure consumption of goods produced by nation
4
Q
What did these elements combine to create?
A
- Happily bland consensus
- ESPEICALLY: under eisenhower
5
Q
What were the common concerns of the period
A
- SU nuclear threat
- conformity
- consumerism
- Adverts
- American youth
- Race relations
- Economic inequality
6
Q
Impact of SU nuclear threat
A
- children practiced ‘duck and cover’ under school desks in anticipation of attack
7
Q
critics of conformity
A
- critics argue excessively homogenised culture
8
Q
Consumerism in USA
A
- Americans led world in material goods purchase eg: cars, TVs, household gadgets
9
Q
Impact of adverts
A
- media and roadside areas saturated with product messages
10
Q
American youth concerns
A
- Most adults felt younger gen less conformist & well-behaved than previous
11
Q
Race relations
A
- Pronounced inferior status of black Americans in south
12
Q
Economic inequality
A
- About 1/3 of Americans were poor yet poverty particularly prevalent among black, hispanic, and native Americans
