Purchasing for the home helped alleviate traditional American uneasiness with consumption: the fear that spending would lead to decadence.". A new wave of consumerism swept across much of the population of the United States during the 1950s. 2009. The 1950s were considered both The Golden Era of 3D Cinematography and the Golden Age of Television. The two decades led to historical breakthroughs as well as setbacks; they are imperative to the history of the United States. Discover how post-WWII economic developments led to the trend of consumerism in American society. 2. Advertising still has a long way to go, (Im looking at you high fashion and alcohol brands) but its unlikely any of these ads would stand a chance today. New York: Columbia University Press. This work "Consumerism in the 1950's" was written and submitted voluntarily by your fellow student. Getting gas at full service stations took longer. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. The new English Electric refrigerator advert advertising in Country Life magazine UK 1951. Advertising also makes newer forms of media both useful and accessible. TV lamps glowed atop television sets while families ate pre-packaged TV dinners on Melamine trays. Although advertising had grown more sophisticated over the course of the 'Roaring Twenties' with the incorporation of consumer research, advertisements in the 1930s were often based off of broad assumptions. In 1955, GM became the first U.S. corporation to earn more than $1 billion a year. After World War II, Americans enjoyed expanded opportunities and material prosperity. Conservatism. by Jenna | Mar 6, 2017 | Content | Social Media | Email, Blog, Branding | Graphic Design, Marketing. Charge accounts had been around for decades, in which trusted customers could pay off their bill at the end of the month rather than at each visit. Christmas and Consumerism, a Brief History. "The Good Life" People also view consumerism negatively due to its impact on the environment and the welfare of the human laborers involved in the manufacturing process. (function (w,d) {var loader = function () {var s = d.createElement("script"), tag = d.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.src="https://cdn.iubenda.com/iubenda.js"; tag.parentNode.insertBefore(s,tag);}; if(w.addEventListener){w.addEventListener("load", loader, false);}else if(w.attachEvent){w.attachEvent("onload", loader);}else{w.onload = loader;}})(window, document); Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window). When Was the Red Scare? It wasn't just the ruined countries of the world that the United States government was providing financial assistance to. succeed. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 84,000 In the three-quarters of a century since this shift in consumerist attitudes occurred, we have only just begun to see the potential economic, environmental, and psychological impacts of constantly striving to ''keep up with the Joneses.''. WWII brought the U.S. out of the depression with aims towards providing for the war efforts abroad. The only way to find out was to go from one motel to the next. These years would influence the years to come, especially the role of television in consumption. if ( 'querySelector' in document && 'addEventListener' in window ) { Performers such as Fats Domino and Elvis Presley reached millions of TV viewers, launching rock n roll into the mainstream and a craze for 45-RPM records. Dusty Pinholster is a Middle School Social Studies teacher based in Georgia, United States. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/aboutus/history/printable/index.htm. Remember the days when there was just Myspace? These types of advertisements are often focused even more narrowly on a specific demographic or target audience to increase effectiveness and message penetration among that audience. In 1933, Arthur Kallet, director of Consumers Research, and Frederick Schlink, an engineer published 100,000 Guinea Pigs: Dangers in Everyday Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics. In 1936, the Consumers Union, a union owned and controlled by organized consumers, was founded. A thriving middle class was able to afford luxuries that elsewhere in the world were limited to the elites. There are, obviously, some standard modes of practice that are tried and true. Planned obsolescence is just one area that leads to criticism of consumerism by economists, environmentalists, and even consumers. Consumerism of the 1920s -1950s The suitable increase in goods expenditure in an economically desirable way is known as consumerism. The history of American advertising is something that has always fascinated me. Tupperware also helped fulfill the postwar desire for consumer goods. JFK's New Frontier Speech & Program | What was JFK's New Frontier? Save up to 30% when you upgrade to an image pack. Consumers would continue to buy when possible and advocate for more government involvement in the production and inspection of goods. Available for both RF and RM licensing. "The good purchaser devoted to 'more, newer and better' was the good citizen," historian Lizabeth Cohen explained, "since economic recovery after a decade and a half of depression and war depended on a dynamic mass consumption economy. Consumerism is the concept of purchasing material goods and services to enhance one's quality of life. Consumerism is therefore not simply one of many possible individual "life styles"; it is a built-in tendency within capitalist economies. See how consumerism flourished through advertising, higher incomes, and credit cards. Some TV shows, likeThe GoldbergsandThe Honeymooners, catered to working- and middle-class viewers with storylines about ethnic families. One of the benefits of the new suburban lifestyle of the 1950s was that. Pop Art emerged in the 1950s and 60s, a time when consumerism was booming and becoming an increasingly important part of society. In 1951, Kemmons Wilson, a homebuilder in Tennessee, took his family on a car trip to Washington, D.C. Day after day, he faced the problem of finding a decent place for his family to spend the night. This decrease in the quality and longevity of manufactured goods is just one criticism of the consumerist trend. What element most strongly characterizes the feeling of most Americans in the 1950s? They would view advertisements on the television that encouraged them to purchase the ''latest and greatest'' consumer goods, which could be acquired using a credit card to pay over time. The 1920s and the 1950s were times of substantial growth and economic prosperity. During World War II, the whole country's industrial power had been focused on one thing and one thing only: destroying the Axis Powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan. The postwar economy had rebounded. Consumer culture in the 1950s was built on the idea of the American Dream, that a family would consist of a father who worked outside the home, a mother who was a homemaker, and 2-3 children. All rights reserved. Consumer movements continued to develop and coincided with the governments growing role in domestic issues of industry and security. Experts estimate that upwards of 40 million people worldwide live in a system of slavery to help meet the perceived needs of consumers. The Great Society Programs & Lyndon B. Johnson | What was the Great Society? Bill of Rights, allowed many young families to purchase their own homes, often located in rapidly expanding suburbs. Popular sitcoms [] Historian Elained Tyler Maybelieves that the federal government and the American people saw the new consumerism as a way to deemphasize class differences while stressing traditional gender roles. Population: 132.2 million (1940), 151.3 million (1950) To. Budweiser's iconic Clydesdales first appeared in 1950s advertising commercials and can be seen today in holiday and Super Bowl ads. Wartime production had helped pull America's economy out of depression, and from the late 1940s on, young adults saw a remarkable rise in their spending power. State and federal lawmakers responded by funding new highway construction programs. Ruthless: Monopoly's Secret History (espaol). At the same time, factories that had served the war effort shifted to producing automobiles and prefabricated homes, which would populate the earliest subdivision housing arrangements, known as ''Levittowns'' after the originator of the design, William J. Levitt. Popular TV cowboys stepped out of character to pitch breakfast cereals and other youth-oriented products. Goods, no longer as scarce as they were during the war, flowed into the marketplace. Eisenhower's Foreign Policy in Southeast Asia in the 1950s, Eisenhower & the Cold War| Overview, Doctrine & Policies, Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s | Leaders, Protests & Organizations, Consumerism in the 1920s | 1920s Economy: Stock Market & Consumer Culture, Harry Truman's Domestic Policy | Philosophy, Civil Rights & Examples. You know, those things you sometimes message on different applications What is your favorite social media platform? Americans spent their money on cars, televisions and other modern appliance, Library of Congress, Sign up for the American Experience newsletter! Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. Bill, which gave homecoming veterans the economic support they needed to achieve the goals of higher education and home ownership. Interesting/Catchy Advertisementsthe cigarette advertisement is particularly interesting. Its amazing to see how much the visual aesthetic evolved as a result of the changing times. Each decade had its own unique style of advertising, but one period of time really stands in stark contrast to what we're accustomed to today. The United States had won World War II, defeating the most nefarious enemies the modern world had yet seentotalitarian Germany and Japanyet in the 1950s it faced new, ominous threats: an aggressive Soviet Union and nuclear . 2003. America had an electronic mall by the mid-'50s. 2 Pages. Advertisers played up TV's capacity for action with animation. Glickman, Lawrence B. He has since founded his own financial advice firm, Newton Analytical. This led to his special expertise: the influencing of consumer behavior by what he called the "engineering of consent." Bernays pioneered the mass marketing of fashion, food, soap, cigarettes . Cigarette sales dropped only 6% by 1933 and rose 22% over 1929 levels by 1936 (Cross). The number of cars on American roads doubled from 1945 to 1955, reflecting a culture of consumerism centered around the automobile. Pop Art offered a new perspective on this trend, providing a critical voice against the growing obsession with buying and consuming. These goods became more than just tools and necessities, evolving into entertainments, luxuries, and status symbols. They clung to their luxuries or longed for their return. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you Each decade had its own unique style of advertising, but one period of time really stands in stark contrast to what were accustomed to today. suburban homes had yards and crime was low. Cohen, Lizabeth. The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 and the growth of suburbs both . In 1952 alone, 3.9 million babies were born and an average of 4 . The Great Depression tossed many from a previously fruitful decade into a period of austerity. Also makes newer forms of media both useful and accessible 1950s advertising commercials and can be seen in. Voice against the growing obsession with buying and consuming 1936 ( Cross.... Influence the years to come, especially the role of television in consumption shows likeThe! | Mar 6, 2017 | Content | Social media platform appliance, of! Home ownership the concept of purchasing material goods and services to enhance one 's quality of Life of 4 (. 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