8.5

1950s Culture (ARC)

Television

A major form of entertainment and information in the 1950s, contributing to the rise of mass culture and consumerism.

Credit Cards

Introduced in the 1950s, they revolutionized consumer spending by allowing people to purchase goods on credit.

Fast Food

The expansion of quick-service restaurants like McDonald’s, reflecting changing eating habits and the rise of car culture.

Paperback Books

Affordable books that became popular in the 1950s, increasing access to literature and entertainment.

Rock and Roll

A new genre of music blending blues, jazz, and country influences, becoming the defining sound of 1950s youth culture.

Conglomerates

Large corporations that diversified into multiple industries to reduce risk and increase profitability in the postwar economy.

The Lonely Crowd

A 1950 sociological study by David Riesman analyzing changes in American character, contrasting “inner-directed” and “other-directed” individuals.

The Affluent Society

A 1958 book by John Kenneth Galbraith critiquing U.S. consumer culture and the growing economic divide.

The Catcher in the Rye

A 1951 novel by J.D. Salinger that resonated with disaffected youth, exploring themes of alienation and identity.

Catch-22

A 1961 satirical novel by Joseph Heller critiquing the absurdities of war and bureaucracy, particularly during World War II.

Beatniks

A countercultural group of the 1950s rejecting materialism and conformity, embracing jazz, poetry, and nonconformity.

Warren Commission

The official investigation into President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, concluding that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.