An Affluent Society
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Abstract
This dialogue is centered on readings from chapter 24 in the text “Give me Liberty: An American History (vol. two) written by Eric Foner. The topic of interest mainly speaks about the economic progress of America in the 1950s. This period saw the development and growth of the economy of the country. The country experienced a wave of industrialization after the war, improved living standards for the population, and a significant shift of people from urban to suburbs. This shift enabled the government to prompt urban development. Poor neighborhoods were demolished, and real estate building was begun. Housing in the suburbs was low-priced and affordable; the majority of the population was able to afford it. Agencies provided mortgages, but these were only issued to whites. This led to housing seclusion. Minorities during this era were ignored and treated harshly. This prompted unrest among minorities and movements to fight for their civil rights. The golden age of capitalism in the country saw massive economic developments that were broadcasted for the whole world.
Assignment 1:
An Affluent Society
The area that was of interest to me was in chapter 24 of “Give me Liberty”: An American History by Eric Foner. The topic was An Affluent Society, which fundamentally discussed economic achievements in the early 1950s. These achievements and economic landmarks began with an agreement between the Soviet Union and the United States to exchange exhibitions. This was done so that citizens of the two powers could become acquainted with the other’s life. The Soviet Union’s presentation mainly entailed factory machinery, which was meant to show how communism had shaped and restructured a once backward country. An American exhibition held a month later showcased consumer goods and leisure equipment, including home appliances, movie theatres, 22 different cars, stereo sets, etc.
After world war 2 came the golden age of capitalism, a period which was characterized by stable prices, economic expansion, improved living standards, and low unemployment rates. During this period, the country’s gross national product more than doubled (Berry, 2013). A developed economy and a high gross national product meant that employees received better salaries and wages, ultimately leading to better living standards. The majority of the population classified as middle class. The poverty rate had gone drastically low; initially, the rate was 30 percent; it dropped to 22 percent a decade later.
During this period, several innovations came into play in the country that led to better living standards and better lives for the country’s citizens. This period also saw the doubling of the average wages for manufacturing workers. Wages rose faster for low-income workers than high-income workers, which was fair because low-income employees did more work as opposed to high-income employees (Wuthnow, 2010). This lessened the economic and social curve, and economic inequality was reduced. Individuals working blue-collar jobs were able to earn enough to support a family, and as a result, many individuals married and used to support their families. The gap between the poor and the rich was being bridged. This was a model for other countries to follow.
Japan and Western Europe achieved incredible economic feats after World War 2, which was a much-needed recovery after the war. Even after its economic successes, America remained the globe’s predominant industrial power. This was due to their massive steel, automobile, and aircraft industries, which dominated both the domestic and world market. Like other wars, the cold war powered industrial production and encouraged national relocation of the country’s economic resources and the state’s population. The west majorly benefitted from government contracts in the region (Wuthnow, 2010). California and the Rocky Mountains benefitted from government contracts on aircraft in the area.
However, the main engines for economic development in the 1950s were the massive expenditure on consumer goods and residential reconstruction (Sandeen, 2010). The war led to the relocation of people to the suburbs, which led to enormous demands for housing, home appliances, cars, television sets, etc. Most Americans moved and built houses in suburb landscapes, the physical embodiment of hopes for a better life was finally within their reach. By 1960 families in the suburbs outnumbered those living in urban areas. The modern west also emerged during this period with California as the face of this boom.
Consumers were termed as the key to the country’s economy. America’s ability to consume was endless; they viewed the luxuries of today as necessities tomorrow. The government had never experienced a wave of affluence and consumerism like this Berry, 2013). Employees were exposed to strict working conditions that ultimately ensured the production of quality consumer goods. The state’s consumer culture validated the dominance of the American way of communism. During this period, television usage enabled proper advertisements of products, and images of middle-class life blanketed the nation.
Automobile manufacturers increased production as cars become an essential feature in all households. Auto companies and oil companies catapulted to the top as the two industries’ products were valued globally. The automobile industry, as a result, expanded and became the backbone of the country’s economy. Women during this period worked part-time to support their families and their middle-class lifestyle. Even though women worked, their salaries were only 60 percent those of men and the male was seen as the breadwinner of the family.
References
Berry, M. (2013). The affluent society revisited. OUP Oxford.
Kaplan, D. (2000). The darker side of the” original affluent society.” Journal of Anthropological Research, 56(3), 301-324.
Sandeen, E. J. (2010). Picturing an exhibition: the family of man and 1950s American. Alburquerque: University of New Mexico Press, cop. 1995..
Wuthnow, R. (2010). Remaking the Heartland: Middle America since the 1950s. Princeton University Press.
Assignment 2:
The 1950s was the era of “Father knows best,” the country broadcasted an image of a perfect lifestyle and perfect homes to the world with economic prowess behind these images. This perceived perfection was to print a picture that the country was the breeding ground for unimaginable success and unprecedented wealth and luxury. This was, however, not some propaganda as the state did achieve these theoretical feats. The economy grew immensely, and American citizen’s greatly benefitted from it. American society was painted as an idyllic one.
Massive economic development saw suburbs’ growth, with many individuals relocating to the suburbs after the war. This movement led to a demand for housing, which was low-cost and affordable to many citizens. This encouraged the movement of more individuals. This was possible due to improved wages for low-income employees; thus, they were able to provide for their families. This affluent life brought about a period, commonly referred to as the “baby boom.” This period saw the birth of many children, approximately 3 per household; this was mainly because women’s posts and jobs had ended after the war.
Women were therefore stuck as housewives and reduced to cooking, cleaning, and having babies. The country’s population shot up by about 30 million, excluding immigrants. Suburban developments were on the rise during this period; federal agencies, therefore, issued mortgages. These agencies, however, excluded non-whites, which ultimately led to housing segregation. The relocation to suburbs enabled the government to demolish poor neighborhoods and built valuable real estate. Most non-whites lived in these areas; they were therefore forced out and relocated to run-down neighborhoods.
The period after the war was one of peace, conformity, and prosperity. A sense of homogeneity pervaded the state. The country enjoyed a decade of economic prowess, fair wages, and a wave of industrialization, which offered jobs to the population. As a result, most individuals lived better lives. Women also began to find a place in the working population; they worked at first for little pay, but this changed as their wages also improved. They eventually did and were paid 60 percent of the male wages. They supported their middle-class lifestyle and were mostly associated with family and leisure activities such as going to films.
The cold war spiked a new wave of industrial production and redistribution of the county’s resources. The automobile and oil industries were on the front of this industrial era. Cars became a necessity across homes in the state. This being said, the health of the citizens of the country also developed. The physical well-being of the population matched the economic health of the country. Advances in medicine saw the invention of new antibiotics and the most successful vaccine against polio.
This period was, however, not without its share of mishaps. Domestic and foreign policy issues emerged that the country would struggle within the coming years. Although the majority enjoyed prosperous lives, the minorities suffered as poverty levels started to increase. These individuals did not receive house mortgages, were evicted from their homes for real estate development, and lacked jobs. They grapple for civil rights for minorities, especially African-Americans, became an issue for concern.
Assignment 3:
- Article Name: Two Cheers for the Affluent Society
- Author: Wilfred Beckerman
- Publication Date: February 1, 1975
- URL Link: https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=k-ceAAAAMAAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=The++Affluent+society+in+1950s&ots=D_78QUIW2w&sig=-KbToUbNviEqkjwhHftZ7ems1rQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=The%20%20Affluent%20society%20in%201950s&f=false
- Topic in this week’s readings related to this article: This article talks about the affluent society in the 1950s, one of the chapters allotted this week.
Assignment 4:
- Primary Source Name: Women Rights are Human Rights
- Author: Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Date: September 5, 1995
- URL link: https://www.un.org/esa/gopher-data/conf/fwcw/conf/gov/950905175653.txt