1950's Culture

Life in the 1950's after World War II was often called the "American Dream". It was an age of conformity, suburbs, and the middle class.

Business boomed in the 1950's and more and more people were in the middle class and more and more middle class were working white collar instead of blue collar jobs. The prospering businesses stressed the importance of conformity to standardize the ideal worker. This was good in keeping everything organized and standardized, but its disadvantage was that it discouraged individuality and creativity.

The lack of goods during the war cause people to buy new things almost carelessly in the 1950's after the war ended. People wanted a comfortable life, good job, health and happy family, and an affordable house and car. Now that vehicles and highways were becoming more widespread and affordable, people began to live away from cities although many still worked there because they now had an easy means or transporting to work. People set up neighborhoods around cities called suburbs that fit the American dream of a comfortable life and conformity with its ideal nice neighbors, "cookie-cutter" houses, and the almost (socially) required car per family. 

In addition to the standardized suburbs, people bought other things that came to symbolize the American dream. Household items and products were especially popular as the new and important television portrayed women as housewives buying new "must-have" appliances. The increase in leisure time due to the increase of people buying time-saving, labor-saving appliances and having better jobs, caused the the increase of people pursuing various recreational entertainments and buying many books to read for entertainment. Consumerism was soon seen as a meter for success because it showed how much money a family had and how well off they were to have all these good they were denied from having during the war.

by Nicky