APUSH AMSCO Unit 8.5

explain how mass culture has been maintained or challenged over time

television

became a center of family life in American homes; had three main national networks that reinforced conservative values

credit cards

introduced in the 1950s; promoted common material wants

fast food

chains of roadside fast food restaurants appeared

paperback books

invented in the 1950s; sold a million copies a day by 1960

rock and roll

blend of African American rhythm and blues with white country music; popularized by Elvis Presley

conglomerates

a company made up of smaller companies; more people worked white-collar than blue-collar jobs; people believed that organizations could make better decisions than individuals

The Lonely Crowd

Harvard sociologist David Riesman criticized the replacement of inner-directed individuals in society with other-directed conformists

The Affluent Society

economist John Kenneth Galbraith wrote about the failure of wealthy Americans to address the need for increased social spending for the common good

The Catcher in the Rye

JD Salinger commented on phoniness as viewed by a troubled teenager

Catch-22

Joseph Heller satirized the rigidity of the military and the insanity of war

beatniks

a group of rebellious writers and intellectuals; advocated spontaneity, the use of drugs, and rebellion against societal standards

Warren Commission

headed by Chief Justice Earl Warren; investigated Kennedy’s death; concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald was the sole assassin