In-Depth Notes on Post-1945 European Society

Major alterations occurred in European society, especially in the middle class after 1945.
Traditional middle-class professions (business people, lawyers, doctors, educators) were joined by new managers and technicians in large companies and government agencies.
Characteristics of the New Middle Class:
- Relied on specialized knowledge gained through advanced education.
- Focused on effective administration of their organizations.
- Emphasized education for their children.

There was a significant migration from rural areas to urban centers.
Agriculture workers decreased while industrial labor force numbers remained steady.
- Example: In West Germany, industrial workers comprised 48% of the labor force in the 1950s/1960s.
Working-class wages increased, allowing them to adopt middle-class consumption patterns, leading to a consumer society.
Buying Trends:
- Installment buying (popularized in the 1920s) became commonplace in the 1950s.
- Products purchased included televisions, refrigerators, and washing machines.
- Supermarkets made shopping for essentials more convenient.
Automobile Ownership:
- Pre-WWII, cars were largely limited to the upper-class.
- Car ownership surged from 5 million in 1948 to 45 million by the 1960s.

Rising incomes and reduced working hours expanded market opportunities for leisure activities.
Workweek shrank from 60 hours in 1900 to just over 40 hours by 1960.
Increased paid holidays gave people time for leisure—the 1960s saw German and Italian workers receiving 32 to 35 days off per year.
Commercialization of popular culture (music, sports, media) began.
Tourism Growth:
- Pre-WWII, primarily upper/middle class.
- Post-war conditions allowed mass tourism, with over 100 million cross-border tourists in Europe by mid-1960s.

Postwar Europe saw significant development in social welfare systems, known as the welfare state.
Aimed to provide better living conditions and eliminate poverty; felt necessary after WWII.
Benefits included:
- Old-age pensions, medical insurance, unemployment compensation.
- Varied by country; some offered free medical care while others required partial payments.
Welfare systems aimed to increase educational opportunities and extend social safety nets.

Gender roles influenced welfare state development; debates emphasized whether to recognize women as mothers or individual workers.
Specific state systems:
- Britain: Aimed to keep women at home; few benefits for working married women.
- West Germany: Discouraged female workforce participation, differentiating from communist neighbors.
- France: Promoted gender equality, offering the same welfare benefits to working women as men.
Family allowances incentivized childbirth to counter post-war population decline.

After WWII, women returned to traditional roles; workforce participation dropped while birth rates rose, leading to a baby boom.
Birth control practices led to smaller families starting in the late 1950s.
The number of married women in the workforce surged:
- E.g., In the U.S. from 15% in 1900 to 62% by 1970.
- In Sweden, married women in the workforce increased from 47% to 66% (1963-1975).
Despite greater participation, women Earned less than men; e.g., 60% of men's wages in Britain during the 1960s.

Women gained the right to vote in many Western nations post-WWI as recognition of their contributions to the war effort.
Post WWII, women initially faced a revert to traditional roles, sparking the women’s liberation movement in the 1960s.
Influential figures included Simone de Beauvoir, who highlighted women’s subjugation in her book "The Second Sex" (1949).

Artists and writers grappled with the trauma of WWII; Adorno stated, “to write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric.”
The U.S. took the lead in shaping postwar art, notably through Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art.
Key Artists:
- Jackson Pollock: Known for energetic, abstract works that involved the viewer.
- Andy Warhol: Transformed popular culture into fine art, e.g., Campbell’s soup cans; emphasized mass production.
Theater of the Absurd:
- Reflects disillusionment in post-war society; exemplified by Samuel Beckett’s "Waiting for Godot."

Existentialism emerged in response to the moral collapses of the twentieth century, with figures such as Sartre and Camus exploring themes of meaninglessness.
Key ideas include:
- Absence of inherent human purpose; individuals must create their own values.
- Authenticity and responsibility were emphasized; societal norms should not dictate individual worth.

In reaction to societal disillusionment, movements attempted to revitalize Christianity.
Figures such as Karl Barth sought to reinterpret traditional beliefs for modern relevance.
Vatican II (1962) sought to modernize Catholic practices, though church attendance decreased over time.

Post-WWII, popular culture became central to societal identity, tied to economic systems.
American Influence:
- U.S. dominated through film, literature, and music, shaping global consumer culture.
- Films propelled American culture; Europe became a significant market for Hollywood.
- The British and European filmmakers maintained unique identities through national cinema.
Music Evolution:
- Rock ‘n’ roll combined various influences; artists like Elvis Presley and the Beatles reshaped the music landscape globally.