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Artem Te. Dr. Plane APUSH 11 April 2024. To what extent did the “Affluent Society” of the 1950s mark a return to traditional ideas about race, gender, family, and “freedom”? The concept of the “Affluent Society” in the 1950s marked a time period of extravagant economic growth and prosperity, as well as an insurgence of traditional ideas on race, gender, family, and the overall definition of freedom.
Question: Why was there such a reluctance to depict dysfunction in American family life during the fir first 30 years of television? The focus was almost always on a Utopian version of society. Question: Douglas argues the sustained bachelorhood was equated with latent homosexuality. However, he does not reference any research. What evidence exists to support this contention?
Yes, I do agree with the article because in my opinion the 60s ideal family was a historical anomaly. Even studying U.S. history on its own reveals the vast majority of families had two working parents. While only one might work outside the home, the other still worked to contribute to the family income or at least lessen the family expenses. I believe the decline in the traditional family is the result, at least in part, by a lack of earnings and increased levels of consumption. Many families need dual-incomes so they can provide for their family.
The 1950s in the US saw significant changes politically, socially, culturally, and economically due to the "economic boom". Politically, the 1950s were marked by the beginning of the Cold War, which led to increased government spending on military and defense. The era was also characterized by a wave of conservative sentiment, reflected in the election of President Dwight D. Eisenhower and the rise of suburbanization. Socially, the 1950s saw a rise in consumerism and a growing middle class, leading to a proliferation of new consumer goods and the development of a more materialistic culture.
Today we ask ourselves, what defines a family? Will we ever be able to pinpoint one exact answer? Meanings and explanations of our past have been rightfully challenged. The family structures and dynamics that we see today have evolved great lengths from what they once were in the 1950’s. The 1950’s consisted of “standard” families.
‘Ahhh, the good ol’ days.’ When people hear this, they think back to a time when they remember happiness in the 1950’s. However, people tend to only remember the happiness that the media portrayed and not the negative aspects of this time period. Looking at texts, and comparing them to the television shows from this time period shows that the media is an unreliable portrayal of the majority of family living and gender roles from this time period. The families in the televisions shows are conformists; a happy suburban home, a father who works, a mother who stays at home, and the three children who rely on their parents.
Born into a working class family in 1920, I have seen many struggles. Family and God has always been important to me and how I was raised. Raised to work hard, love your family, and worship with the Lord to be thankful for what we have. The political, economic and social changes in this country from 1920 till 1950 affected our day to day living. The politics from 1920 to 1950 changed dramatically from governing the family with prohibition to assisting poor families, to security polices for protection.
Modern Australian families are breaking away from sole provider roles and looking to find businesses and opportunities that will give them total work life balance and financial security for a growing family. And it is no surprise that franchising is at the top of the list. Research shows that more and more families are rejecting the “single income ” role and “weekend parent” personas. Choosing business ventures such as small business, consulting roles and entrepreneurship to break away from rigid employment models. Opting instead to spend time with their families as they choose to, not as dictated by an employer.
Despite the truths of the housewife lifestyle presented by 1950s media, popular culture failed to acknowledge the rarity of housewives, the reasons women were forced into that role, and the reality that women of color were too busy fighting for their rights to stay at home. The suburban sitcoms of the 1950s
In the 1950’s the concept of achieving the “American Dream” was what the majority of the United States was aiming for. This dream was that “life should be richer and better and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement,” (Epic of America). For many this meant owning a home, having a car, and raising a family; the white picket fence idea. Although the idea was for everybody to be happy, it really only was achievable for white men. The women and non-white citizens did not have an equal opportunity to live the american dream.
The early part of the 19th century was a time of change for the United States. Up until this time, American’s generally lived in small, rural towns where work was tied to the home. With the onset of industrialization and more advanced forms of transportation and communication the north was becoming more modernized and society began shifting from agrarian to urban. Both men and young unmarried men and women began leaving their rural homes to look for jobs and a better way of life in the city. Because of this change, new gender ideologies began to change the way American’s thought about the roles men and women played in the home and in society.
During the Great depression, America’s economy crumbled causing money to be worthless, many to go years without jobs and unable to support their families, and many to become homeless and have to live in hard conditions because of the lack of resources and money, as well known, it was one of the hardest times in American history. As America healed from The Great Depression, and with the economy starting to stabilize again, the US started facing its new challenge of shaping social values and conflicts throughout the society. When looking back at the 1950’s, the first image that comes to mind is the “American dream” and “ideal family life” which was constantly pounded into people’s minds through advertisement and media. Throughout the articles,
The suburban lifestyle, which was focused on family, community, and stability, became a symbol of the American Dream. This new lifestyle was widely celebrated in popular culture, and became an ideal that many Americans sought to emulate. The suburbs also became a place for women to pursue a more traditional role as homemakers, which helped to reinforce gender norms and reinforce the idea of a "traditional" family
The mass media influenced family roles through television shows, films, advertisements, and magazines. The ideal modern woman was the perfect housewife who cooked, cleaned, and took care of her family. On the other hand, the ideal modern man was the bread winner of the his family. America flourished in the 1950s because of the consumer demand, families moving from cities to the suburbs, and television formed allowed the public to view presidential candidates and government officials.
Table of Contents Introduction 1 The family within society 1.1Historical context 1.1.1 Post- war era in the USA 1.1.2 Initiation of consumerism 1.1.3 Position of woman/man within society 1.2 Nuclear family 1.3 The youth culture 1.4 Educational institutions in 1950 2 The Relationships 2.1 Father- son relationship 2.2 Mother- son relationship 2.3 Holden- siblings’ relationship 2.4
