Post-War Consumerism

Flashcards about Post-War Consumerism

What were the two visions of America following the Korean War?

One vision concerned the general good serving thrift or moderation, and the other the pursuit of personal wants in a marketplace of limitless possibilities.

Between what years did national output double due to high production of goods?

Between 1946 and 1956

What stimulated consumption after the Korean War?

Median family income doubled between 1949 and 1973.

Name some factors enabling consumption after the Korean War.

Governmental policies (GI Bill); mass media (esp TV); installment plans provided by automakers; value changes that made Americans more comfortable with affluence.

What percentage of homes had refrigerators in 1940 compared to 1950?

44% in 1940 to 80% in 1950

How many radios were sold in 1950 alone?

14.6 million

How did toy sales change between 1955 and 1960?

Sales went from 6 million in 1955 to 25 million in 1960.

By what year did TV make its way into two-thirds of households?

1953

By the mid-1960s, what percentage of households had at least one TV?

94%

What impact did TV have on the average boomer's perception of reality, according to Roof (1993)?

By the time the average boomer (b 1946) had reached 16 they had watched 12,000 to 15,000 hours of TV which became the major source of information shaping their definitions of reality, exceeding that of books, newspapers, teachers, religious leaders, perhaps even the family.

What does Diamond (2019) say regarding TV viewing habits?

Americans spend 3 to 4 times more time watching TV together than talking with one another, and at least 1/3 of all TV viewing time is spent alone.

What fraction of homes standing in 1960 had been built during the 1950s?

1 out of every 4 homes

What drove much of the building boom in the 1950s?

The Levitt firm, through mass production techniques, government financing, and low interest rates.

What did cultural critic Lewis Mumford say about the mass movement into suburban areas?

He described it as creating a community of uniform houses and people, conforming to a common mold in every respect.

Approximately how many square feet of floor area did suburban homes typically have?

983 square feet

How did the size and features of the typical single family suburban home change by 1955?

Grew to 1170 sq feet of floor area; three-fourths had 3 or more bedrooms; & almost half had more than one bathroom.

How were single-family homes secured by 1960?

To the tune of $139 billion in mortgage debt.

By 1960, what fraction of American households were in some sort of debt?

Two-thirds

What happened to the population of America's largest cities between 1950 and 1960?

10 of America’s largest cities lost population

According to Jackson (1985), how was the core of cities identified in the popular mind?

With poor people, crime, minorities, deterioration, older dwellings, and abandoned buildings.

Between 1950 and 1970, how did the population distribution change in New Jersey regarding minorities in the city?

Minorities in the city went from 11% of the population in 1940 to 56% in 1970, while the white population declined by 56%.

What was the racial composition of Levittown's 1953 population?

It contained no blacks.

What did Allport (1954) find regarding white population's acceptance of black neighbors?

¾ of the white population would object to having blacks live in their immediate neighborhoods.

How did neighborhood associations contribute to the homogeneity of suburbs?

They sought to keep suburbs respectably white by insisting on higher down payments & interest rates, & commission fees, making suburban homes too expensive for minorities to acquire.

Between 1950 and 1970, how much did the suburban population grow?

From 36 to 74 million people.

What role did the GI Bill (1944) play in the ability to purchase new suburban homes?

It was a major mechanism underwriting this ability.

What did the GI Bill award to returning WWII vets?

The capital to start their own business and attend college.

What fraction of single-family residences built from 1945 to 1966 were financed by GI Bills?

One-fifth

Which two groups did not take advantage of the GI Bill as much?

Women and blacks

Why didn't black vets benefit as much from the GI Bill?

Overly crowded schools in the South did not accommodate black veterans; there were insufficient numbers of counselors.

What was one benefit of black vets not being able to use their GI Bill to better effect?

It kept them from becoming as indebted as their white counterparts because suburban households were more likely to carry other forms of debt.

How did car companies encourage new car sales?

Through planned obsolescence, designing cars to make people unhappy with their current models.

How did new car sales change between 1946 and 1955?

They quadrupled.

By 1965, how many cars did Americans own?

75 million

What was the primary method Americans used to acquire domestic consumables, including cars?

Credit.

What was the ratio of credit to disposable income in 1950 compared to 1970?

10.4% in 1950; 18.5% by 1970

How did consumer debt rise from 1946 to 1960?

From 8.3 billion in 1946 to 56.1 by 1960.

When did the first credit cards appear?

Diner’s Club in 1949

What was Hyman's (2011) argument regarding the connection between consumption and suburbanization?

Consumer debt moved to the center of American life even as the center of American life moved to the suburbs.

Why did the shopping center become a staple in suburban life?

It sold more than just goods and offered services like laundromats and restaurants.

What changes did shopping centers introduce?

4/10 families spent more time shopping than ever before; 3/10 families made more shopping trips; 2/10 took children more often than ever before; 2/10 included the father of the family

What shift occurred in the American ethic, according to Hofstadter?

Americans had gone ‘from a working and saving ethic … to an ethic which stresses … the value of leisure and the pleasure of consumption.’