Topic 1 - C1 - Urbanisation and Affluence Flashcards
(37 cards)
Why was the period of 1955-1963 a period of affluence for most Americans?
Larger homes
More labour saving devices
More cars
Higher salaries
What did increased affluence result in?
Affluence = Suburbia + Decline of cities + Mass production of consumer goods + Increasing role of advertising and mass communication
What were the common concerns of this period?
- Threat of nuclear attack from USSR (children practised ‘duck and cover’ under school desks)
- Conformity and homogenisation
- Consumerism and advertisements
- Teenage culture
- Race relations
- Economic inequality - poverty present among black Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans
How expensive were cars in 1955 and how were they a sign of affluence?
WC and MC bought Chevrolets or Fords - $1300 which was ⅖ of average family income
Why did people want to spend their money on cars in 1955?
Those who remembered the depression wanted to spend their money on cars as spending on cars declined in the depression, cars = status
Who were they key car manufacturers and how many cars were made in 1955?
General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, 7.9 million new cars were manufactured
Why did Eisenhower want to reconstruct the highways?
- Roads were in bad condition after WW2 compared to German autobahns
- Car ownership increased = traffic
- Happiness, convenience and greater living standards
By how much had car ownership increased between 1950-1960?
Car ownership increased from 39.9 million in 1950 to 73.8 million in 1960
What did the Federal Aid Highway Act on 1956 authorise?
Authorised 41,000 miles of interstate highways.
`How did your car reflect your social and ethnics status?
White UC chose spacious models like Lincolns and Cadillacs while MC and WC bought Fords and Chevrolets. Cleaning car - important ritual
What cars did poor hispanics have to buy and what cars did poor blacks aspire to buy?
Poorer Hispanic Americans bought cheap, second hand Chevrolets, Cadillacs desirable car for black MC
How did cars encourage the desire to escape parental control and have greater freedoms?
1953 Kinsey sex survey showed that young people had almost as much sex in cars as in homes. Young men customised their cars to emphasis speed and style.
How did cars help free women?
Could visit shopping malls. 1955 - Dodge La Femme came with matching lipstick and shoulder bag. Could be a source of conflict with men trying to dominate car
What reflects the new on the road culture as people could obtain fast food, watch movies and attend church from their car?
- 1952 modern US motel chain - Holiday Inn founded
- 1960 - 228 McDonalds = jobs + changed the landscape - US covered with roads, motels, restaurants, stores, huge parking lots, neon signs and advertisements.
How did the service industry grow from 1950 to 1960?
Blue collar workers in decline
white collar workers had grown from 21.2 million in 1950 to 27.2 million in 1960
What impact did automation have on the workforce?
Decreased industrial workforce from 39% to 36% by 1960. 1960 - 34.8 million service workers outnumbered 25.6 million manual workers
What did cars contribute to suburban growth and urban decline?
People could move out of cities as they could now drive to work but meant that cities lost their tax base
17% of Americans lived in suburbs in 1920, how does this differ to the amount of suburban homes built between 1950-1960?
11 million out of the 13 million homes built between 1948 and 1958 were suburbs
1960 - 33% lived in suburbs
What brought the need for suburbs?
Little house building in 1930s and WW2 = acute PW housing shortage, 250 people sold streetcars as homes in Chicago
What did the Federal Housing Agency do?
offered house buyers mortgages of up to 90% of the value of the house and up to 30% to pay off at a low interest rate of 4-5%
What did the Veterans Agency do?
VA allowed 2.4 million veterans to purchase homes with little down payment
How did the FHA and the VA contribute to suburbanisation?
1955 - FHA and VA provided 41% of all new mortgages, home owner occupied homes was at 61.9% in 1960 from 43% in 1940
Why did affluent whites prefer suburbs?
lower tax rates, less noise and congestion - wanted more space, comfort and racially homogenous neighbourhoods - MC exit from cities = white flight
Where was the first Levittown in 1947?
Hempstead, Long Island - 17,000 homes, 80,000 residents, 7 village greens and shopping centres and 9 swimming pools and 2 bowling alleys
