Chapter 37: The
Eisenhower Era
1952-1960
Popular Culture & American Society
in the 1950’s
1950’s Popular Culture
Servicemen’s Re-adjustment Act,
1944



Also known as the
“G.I.” Bill
Huge impact on
American society &
economy in the
1950’s
Opportunities for
WWII Veterans
G.I. Bill Offered…




1. University
education
2. Vocational
Training
3. Small business
loans
3. Home loans
Universities


Award 2x’s as
many degrees in
1950 as opposed to
1940
8 million vets used
G.I. funds to attend
Colleges
&Universities
1950’s Prosperity


Credit Cards:
Diner’s Club,
American Express,
1958
Low interest home
loans
Who is the 1950’s The Middle
Class?




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1. At least some college
education
2. Men work – white
collar jobs, or blue collar
management
3. Own 2 cars
4. Own suburban home
5. Stay at home wife, 2
kids
6. mostly white
“Auto Mania”


Cars Facilitate
movement
85% of homes built
in 1950’s built in
the suburbs.
Growth of Suburbs



Tract homes built
en masse in the
1950’s
“Levittowns”emerged (planned
communities in
suburbs)
Levitt Construction company- east
coast
Growth of Suburbs


Average home
price 1950’s:
$11,500 - $14,500
Lakewood, Ca- 1st Planned
Community in L.A.

STEP 1

STEP 2
Lakewood, Ca- 1st Planned
Community in L.A.

STEP 3

STEP 4
“White Flight”



White, middle
class Moved to
suburbs
Loans denied to
minorities
60% of Americans
owned homes by
end of 50’s
National Highway Act 1956



“Interstate”
Highways unified
nation
$40 billion
41,000 mile
construction project
Popular Culture Along Highways

The emergence of
fast food chains,
motels, shopping
malls
Baby Boom


50-75 million
babies born
between 19461964
“at home” mothers
depicted in popular
culture
Women in the 1950’s


1950’s Middle
Class ideal: stay at
home mom
Husband earns
enough money so
wife does not have
to work
Television Culture


9 in 10 homes had
T.V. sets by 1960
Facilitated the
spread of “fads”
1950’s Fads


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Hula Hoops!
Records!
Barbie!
Telephone booth
stuffing!
Rock N’ Roll

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Term coined by DJ
Alan Freed 1951
Controversial
Society concerned
about teenagers
Rebellious Youth in Film
James Dean “Rebel Without a
Cause” (1955)
 Marlon Brando –
“ The Wild One”
(1954)

Disneyland


Opened in
Anaheim, CA 1955
Price of admission:
$1
The Construction of Disneyland…

Does Disneyland represent the social
idealism of the 1950’s??
Poverty and Urban Blight

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By 1960, 35 million
people lived below
poverty line
Inner city
deteriorated into
slums
Reality of the
ignored
1950’s Reality:

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1. Racism, discrimination, segregation
2. Popular Culture depicts white middle
class experience
3. Poverty, urban flight, inequality