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CHANGING LIVING STANDARDS: WW2 AND THE GROWTH OF A CONSUMER SOCIETY, 1941…
CHANGING LIVING STANDARDS: WW2 AND THE GROWTH OF A CONSUMER SOCIETY, 1941-60
IMPACT OF WW2
The war created loads of jobs, and heavily reduced unemployment. For most Americans the war saw increased prosperity, but poverty did not go away. Black families in the south were still hugely affected by poverty.
Americans had more disposable income, but due to the war there wasn't many consumer goods to spend this money on.
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More money led to greater spending on entertainment, restaurants, and liquor.
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Housing: those who gravitated to the cities for war work or to be near a husbands base faced great shortages of comfortable accommodation.
Caused redistribution of income: the share of national wealth owned by the top 5% fell from 23% to 16%.
A CONSUMER SOCIETY
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Car ownership:
- By the 1950s, most American families could afford to buy a car.
- Growing car ownership changed lifestyles in the 1950s. It made lives easier and more varied.
- More Americans could get to places faster and more comfortably.
Manufacturers became very specific in targeting consumers:
- Toy industry grew: products aimed at children were advertised around kids programmes on tv and radio
- Women also targeted: targets for labour-saving devices, things that made housework faster and easier. They were also targets for everyday domestic shopping, e.g. 'pre-prepared meals', which were a timesaver.
Greater purchasing power enabled Americans to buy new labour-saving devices, too:
- Washing machines, freezers, dishwashers made housewives' lives easier.
Many Americans bought cars and labour-saving devices. The mass media emphasised that such consumer goods were essential to the American dream in ads, tv shows, and celeb profiles.
Between 1939 and 1948, household appliance sales increased by 500%, which contributed to a general rise in the standard of living. It also created employment for workers involved in their production
Growth in teenager consumption: Teens spent about $10 billion per year, mostly on transport, clothing and sports, food and drink, and entertainment.
Not everyone prospered:
- Huge disparities in wealth, e.g. Black sharecroppers of the south and Native Americans on their reservations did not prosper.
- Nearly 1/3 of Americans lived in poverty throughout this period.
- Most African Americans , Hispanics and Native Americans were denied a part in the prosperity of the 1950s , as white movement to the suburbs increased the number of minorities who lived in overcrowded , dirty slums.
IMPACT OF TV
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TVs brought entertainment into the home, which meant that families went out less.
Lots of TV buyers lived in the suburbs. Staying in saved the journey to theatres or bars in town. More and more people stayed home to eat dinner and watch Tv instead of going out to eat.
1960 Census:
- 62% owned their homes (43% in 1940)
- 93% of homes had running water
- 86% of homes had an indoor flushing toilet.
- 85% of homes had a bath/shower.
- Only 1.7% of homes had no heating.
- 92% of homes had at least one radio.