To What Extent Did Living Standards Change Flashcards
(9 cards)
What was the living standards like in the roaring 20s (2x)
-people had more access to wealth and leisure time, as seen by the popularisation of the radio and cinema as forms of entertainment
-However, many working class families still struggled, so change was limited to those who could afford to take time off
How did the Great Depression impact living standards? (3x)
-24.9% unemployment rate at the height of the depression
-mass homelessness as people could not afford their mortgages, Hoovervilles began to pop up as a result
-people could not afford the price of goods
What was living standards like post-WW2? (4x)
-the GI Bill gave veterans access to home loans, leading to suburbanisation and Levittowns popping up
-economic prosperity follow as the war revived the USA’s economy
-The baby boom
-new industries
What was living standards like in the 1950s? (5x)
-The idea of the teenager became more widespread
-shift in industries from war time to peace time production
-mass production
-plastic goods became more common
-poverty dropped 22% (1959)
How did war help boost living standards in the 1950s
-People had been “starved” of products, so they were likely to buy more (no need to ration luxury goods lead to a boom in consumerism)
-the introduction of the travel industry due to tourism booms post-war
-shift from war time to peace time production in factories
-cheaper oil benefited businesses
How did manufactures change in the 1950s?
-they offered consumers a wider range of products
-they began to update products to compete in the market, as well as making products poorer quality so people would buy them more often
-the creation of plastics children’s toys
How much did plastic children’s toys make manufactures in 1961?
$2 billion
What percentage of homes has a tv in 1950 comapred to 1960?
1950: 9%
1960: 85%
How did TV impact living standards in the 1950s?
