1950's Social Changes

When most people think of the 1950’s or 1960’s, they think of Elvis, Greasers, jukeboxes, Woodstock, and rainbow peace signs and hippie love. Although these symbols are somewhat accurate (and very popular), not many people think about the changes society and culture went through. The 1950’s and 60’s were a time of great change and freedom for many Americans. Everything from World War II, to the gay liberation movement, to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 helped to change society. Many of the views American’s had on topics such as war, gender roles and sexual preference were changed greatly after these events and have led to our culture being what it is today. The 1950’s and 1960’s were a time where great changes took place that helped to

After World War II, America had to take a step back and take a look at their country. The American Dream had been restored upon the atrocities of the war. In the 1930’s the American Dream was primarily focused on working hard, men providing for their families, and trying to rise from the depression. In the 1940’s, post World War II things changed and consumerism and feminism began to play a key role along with many other factors. There are many ways to describe the American dream and what aspects were influential to it, such as World War II, modernism, new technology and entertainment.

And with these new things brought new jobs, more money being made, the economy was growing, and that’s only a small portion of what some things affected. Some of the things that changed the 50’s were hit movies such as: Superman and The Lone Ranger.(4) Aside from that a huge hit was Walt Disney’s creation of Disneyland which was opened up in 1955.(4) Teen culture was sparked by the new sound of “Rock ‘N Roll”, and a huge icon in that genre was the hip swinging Elvis Presley.(Silverman 5)

7-The idea of the American Dream change especially in 1930-1970 is evident because, During the 30’s it was well known to be the time of the great depression. The 70’s were known as to be discriminate in race with a great widening in the populations economic system. The time difference plays a great key on the difference in each situation as shown, “The American Dream a seemingly failed idea. Compared to, the widening gap between rich and poor.in the 30’s the Dream seemed far from grasp, The Dream where everyone accomplishes their deepest desires and having money and being able to seek new opportunities was gone. Comparing to the 1970’s where the Dream exclusive does become reality but, only to those who have money and so only those who have money can make

With the overwhelming amount of Levittown houses, the obsession to obtain the perfect American “ideal family” as seen on TV and the unspoken agreement to fear any and all foreign ideas and values, the 1950s were revealed to be a decade of prosperity, conformity and consensus. Just ten years later the atmosphere in America was shockingly different; the 1960s were a decade of turbulence, protest and disillusionment due to the ongoing struggle for civil rights, arising feminism, and the Vietnam War.

The 1950s was a time of prosperity for many Americans. During this time the Cold War was occurring in which the threat of a nuclear bomb attack was looming over America and in addition, The Space Race against the Soviet Union was also occurring. The economy of America was doing well due to the amount of money that people had saved up during World War II and also because of the money that veterans were receiving from the government known as the GI Bill. Another booming thing that was occurring during the 1950s was the rate at which families were growing. Many people believed that they could not be happy if they were single and were also wanting to get married young so that they could avoid the “evils” of premarital sex. The booming economy

According to Foner, “By 1960, 80 percent of American families owned at least one car, and 14 percent had two or more, nearly all manufactured in the United States”(). Many families owned automobiles, for it enabled long-distance vacationing and commuting to work, malls, etc. The ability for people to travel farther distances through means other than trains and trolleys stimulated a population shift from cities to suburbs. Approximately one third of Southern California, a mainly suburban area, was “paved over with roads and parking lots,” hence showing a transformation in American landscape. Infrastructure had to accommodate for cars as they became central to American life. Not only did the automobile alter the American landscape with a web of roads and freeways, but it also led to “the construction of motels, drive-in movie theaters, and roadside eating establishments”(). The automobile revolutionized America, as it allowed for individual mobility and private choice-a symbol of

The American dream has changed over time in the following way that when the founding fathers had created a country where people would be able to break free from any bad strategies where people from before were not able to be as free like today. Few years ago, America was not as free like today because back then people were not allowed to vote, only white people instead of black people. Also women's rights were not as good as men's rights due to women not being able to work and only could clean,cook, and take care of their own children, meanwhile men go to work and make money that's it. Life was not as perfect like before and not really today.

The society in the 1950s was developing from the previous years where women now had to leave their jobs and their freedom to come back home to cook for their family, veterans came back home to a new world, and children were finally able to get family time. After the end of the war both in the European side and the Pacific, the Americans would have been celebrating and have a boosting economy providing jobs for many men who came back from war. It could be seen from the new inventions that the US now had money to spend on the new luxuries for the comfort and wellbeing of the society. The change in the society has impacted the lives of the women, men, and children through their daily lives and even medicine and law.

To achieve the American dream, there must be a change in the expectations of social norms and the idea of how money relates to power and gender roles, which is only possible through social change. Part of the achieving the American dream is living up to the expectations created by society or the social norms. Due to the fact that these norms were created by society, a social change is needed to more easily obtain the American dream. Take for example the "Roaring Twenties," a time period where many challenged society's ideas. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is an excellent example of how the American Dream in the 1920's was obtained due to the change in social values and ideas.

The discovery of North America was the start of the American Dream. Citizens of England were fed up with King George III and how he ruled the country so they left to America where they could start a new life. This relates to the American Dream today when we see how people are leaving their home countries to come to America to make a new life for themselves that was not offered where they were. On August 18 of 1920, women got the right to vote in America. They were the 7th country in the world to allow this so the American Dream grew more to include this. In the 1950’s, America started to become more materialistic. “Car ownership, television ownership,...and the intent to send one’s kids to college,” This grew to most of the population in the 1970s having a credit card and . Overtime, the

The American Dream begins to exist long before the 1950s. In the 1930s, focuses on hard work, men earn money, and the main aim is to survive the Great Depression which starts at the end of the 1920 (Desmond). Later, in the 1940s, after World War II ends, the American Dream ties with consumerism and feminism (Desmond). Finally, in the 1950s, the concept “encompass[es] the ideas of futurism and opportunity (Desmond). In the 1950s, the basic concept of the family, according to the American Dream, includes a husband who earns money, a wife who is the housekeeper, and their children, a boy and a girl (Rich).

The 1950’s and the 1960’s was a time of change and evolution. It brought on the Civil Rights Movement. This was a very influential time period were these new ideas were incorporated into everyday life and they

People were becoming less poor, they were getting jobs and money so they can feed there family’s and have a good life. That’s just some of the stuff that has changed from the 50’s and now. The difference in the average income from the 50’s and today is a major gap between them. In 1950 the average income was $3,210, while today the average income is $51,272. That’s a huge amount of money compared from the 50’s and now.

Similarly, the American Dream in the 1920s went from being ambitious and faithful to all being brainwashed by wealth. The American society started to aim for goals that were heavily influenced by consumerism. In 1931, American writer and historian James Truslow Adams describes the American Dream in his book “The American Epic”, stating that “life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement” regardless of social class or circumstances of birth.” He believes that people started to become competitive with each other, losing their sense of identity and hope. It was about who could throw the biggest party, who will have the most ladies or gents, and the list goes on. *NEXT SLIDE.