Economy/Consumer Society Flashcards
(42 cards)
During the 1950s, what did the GNP increase by?
1950 - $355.3 billion
1960 - $487.76 billion
What was the increase in disposable income for families in 1960 compared to 1950?
30%
Which two prior economic issues under Truman were now low under Eisenhower?
Inflation + unemployment
Which shortage from Truman’s presidency continued into Eisenhower’s?
The Housing shortage
How many houses were constructed to tackle the shortage? How many of these were built in the suburbs?
13 million were constructed overall
11 million within the suburbs
What was the ‘white flight’ phenomenon?
The post-WWII exodus (mass departing) of white Americans from inner-city areas which was then left to minorities
Who were the most famous builders of suburbs during this time? What was their first construction?
The Levitt Brothers
A ‘Levittown’ in Hempstead, Long Island
What were the statistics of Levittown? (5 examples)
17,000 homes
80,000 residents
9 swimming pools
7 shopping centres
2 bowling alleys
What rules did Levittown have? (3 examples)
Weekly lawn mowing
No fences
No washing hung out at weekends
How expensive were the suburban houses? Why was this very appealing?
$8000
It was only two and a half times of the average family income
What were the perks of a suburban house? (6 examples)
Well constructed
Central heating
Built-in wardrobes/garages
Spacious homes
Modern bathrooms/kitchens
Which two administrations offered low-interest loans to allow families to buy new homes?
The Federal Housing Administration
The Veteran’s Administration
What did Levittown operate which was controversial?
Restricted covenants - meaning African-Americans couldn’t buy property on any Levitt property
What were the ‘Big Three’ of car manufacturing in the 1950s? Where were they all located?
General Motors, Ford and Chrysler
All manufactured in Detroit
How many cars were manufactured in 1955 alone?
7.9 million
The mass-production of cars lead to what industries developing?
The service industry
Motels, fast food outlets + out-of-town shopping malls
What modern motel chain was born as a consequence of the new car boom? When was this?
1952 - the first Holiday Inn opened near Memphis
As a result of the car boom, how many McDonalds were in the US by 1960?
228
What was a critique for all this service-work boom?
The people actually working in these service jobs (waitresses, caretakers + petrol station attendants) were poorly paid
By 1960, what was the statistic for televisions within a family?
At least 90% of families had a television within their home
Why was television criticised in the 1950s? What shows back this?
It promoted:
- Conformity (‘Father Knows Best’ + ‘The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet’)
- Consumerism (‘I Remember Mama’)
With the rise of television in the 1950s, which other industry profited? What’s the statistics to back this?
The Advertising industry
1950 - $5.7 billion spent
1960 - $11.9 billion spent
When and what did the historian David Potter argue about advertisements?
1954 - that advertising was as socially influential as education and religion as it dominated the media and exercised social control
What was the name of the book published by Vance Packard in 1957? And what did it describe in terms of advertisement?
‘The Hidden Persuaders’
That advertisements psychologically manipulated consumers through incentives to buy sweet things (candy, cola etc.)
