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American Dream. Chapter 19. Business in the 50’s. More white-collar positions Conglomerates Major corporations Includes small companies in unrelated industries Franchise Similar products / services = Locations Fast Food Restaurants McDonalds Assembly line methods. Baby Boom.
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American Dream Chapter 19
Business in the 50’s • Morewhite-collar positions • Conglomerates • Major corporations • Includes small companies in unrelated industries • Franchise • Similar products / services = Locations • Fast Food Restaurants • McDonalds • Assembly line methods
Baby Boom • 1940’s- 1960’s • Birthrate soared • 1957 - Height - 1 baby born every 7 seconds • Largest generation in the nation’s history • Why? Husbands coming back after war, lower marriage age, desire for large families, economy, medicine
Childcare/Medicine • Discovery of drugs = Childhood diseases • Polio • Typhoid fever • “Common sense book of Baby and Child Care” • Important for mothers to be at home • Leave it to Beaver
Leisure in the 50’s • More leisure time than ever before • Vacations • Labor saving devices • Power lawn mowers, dishwashers, washing machines • Sports • Boating, Golf, Football, and Baseball • Televised sports • Reader’s Digest , Sports Illustrated, Comic Books
Culture • Buying cars in record numbers • Suburbia • “Automania” • Drive through’s • Drive in • Cruising teens -The Interstate Highway Act = 1956 • Building of a nationwide highway network • Encouraged development of new suburbs • “Cars”
Culture • More Americans hit the road • Flocked to mountains, lakes, national parks • Disneyland = July 1955 • 3 million visitors the next year • Restaurants / Shopping malls • Increased noise pollution • Widened the gap between the rich and poor
Consumerism • Consumerism • Buying material goods = Success • What is a material good? -Planned Obsolescence • Made product s become obsolete • “Throwaway Society” • Todays cell phones -Credit • Diner’s Club = 1950 (1st credit card) • Advertising • Encouraged spending = TV 1 minute commercial
Media • 1950 --- 9% of homes had TV’s • 1954 --- 55% • 1960 --- 90% • 2014? • Federal Communications Commission • Government agency that regulates and licenses television, telephone, telegraph, radio and other communication industries
Rock ‘n’ Roll • Music = Rock ‘n’ Roll • Elvis Presley • King • Heartbreak Hotel • All Shook Up • Many adults condemned the new music • Concerts were banned