Prompt: Compare and contrast U.S. society in the 1920s and 1950s with respect to the following: Race relations, role of women, consumerism. Thesis: In the 1920s, most people seemed (generally) to reject traditional values for a more modern outlook on life. However, in the 1950s the country generally became more traditional in some respects.
The 1920s Race Relations — In In this area of the 1920s, people were more traditional on their opinions of foreignborn Americans and African Americans. Citizens of the US were mean and often hostile to immigrants, and African Americans were still treated as second class citizens.
Xenophobia and nativism — Citizens Citizens did not want people from other countries to come to the US and the National Origins Act (Immigration Act) of 1924 was passed (in 1924, no less). It set a quota for how many people (2%) could come to the US based on how many foreign borns came to the US in 1890. The Klan, the 3rd one, which lasted for 4-5 years (the one with the burning crosses) Comes back as a backlash to the modernism movement. They terrorized many African Americans with acts of violence. African Americans still working in very menial jobs with low pay.
Role of Women — Here Here is where the 20s become more modern in the expanding roles of women. More jobs are available, and a fashion comes into play with the middle and lower classes, as opposed to just the elite (brought on by consumerism, see below). Feminism first begins to take a hold here and is stronger (at least visibly) than the 1950s.
The "New Woman" — This This refers to the professional woman, one who goes to college, gets a job, etc. "Pink collar" jobs — These These were the jobs women were confined to, such as secretaries, nurses, and teachers. They were paid less, however, these roles expanded during the 20s, though still considered "domestic" or "female" jobs. Flappers — Began Began among the lower classes. Became a fashion amongst the upper classes and represented a liberated woman trying to break away from the traditional mold. 19th Amendment — Women are given the right to vote. While it doesn't completely change the — Women outcome of elections, it helps women in the feminist movement.
Consumerism — The The standard of living rises as well as consumerism due to the prosperousness of the people in the 1920s, with things such as buying off of credit and the automobile. This is something new to the country, and is similar to the consumerism of the 1950s.
Automobile — Changes Changes everything.
* Replaced railroads as the main prommoter of economic growth (glass, steel, rubber, gas, highways)
* Changed daily life — Commuting-People moved to the suburbs because they could drive to work. Separated work and home further; Shopping-Became a leisure activity among women mostly, also leads to fashion; Traveling-One could visit friends and relatives where it once was impossible; "Courting"-Young people were more unsupervised and went places alone.
Chain stores spring up, and so does buying things, such as appliances, on credit. More people could afford more (with credit or higher wages), and so more stuff was bought by lower classes, such as clothes among women. Ads — People start looking more at image instead of utility in what they buy.
The 1950s Race Relations — This decade sees the beginning of the Civil Rights movement, something that wasn't prominent in the 1920s. This is part of the 50s where the country is not traditional.
Mongomery Bus Boycott (1955-57) — Started by Rosa Parks. Highly successful, for bus system loses MAJOR amounts of money from all those people not riding the buses. Martin Luther King Jr. and the SCLC start advocating civil disobedience. Brown v. Board (1954) — Segregation in schools is unconstitutional. Opens up possibility for African Americans to have equal opportunity. Met with hostility.
Role of Women — On one hand, the stereotype of the 50s woman was a good wife and mother who loved domestic things and to care for her family (Unlike the 1920s). On the other hand, women were more common in the workplace (very much like the 1920s).
I Love Lucy — Shows like this show an ideal woman as needing her husband and inept without
him. Women stayed at home and were supposed to delight in cleaning the house and having dinner cooked by the time her husband got home. Discontent — Many women who had an education felt as if their skills were going to waste by simply staying at home.
Consumerism — Much like the 1920s, people bought on credit, spent more, were paid more, wanted more, and bought more again. Throught this, the standard of living rose.
Teens — Consumerism moves to teens when 13 million of them are spending $7 billion a year. Economic Boom — People were paid more, then they wanted more stuff, they bought it using credit, profits and pay icreased, people decided to buy more stuff, and so on... Housing — More people buying houses + more highways being built = suburbia built very quickly, thus changing daily life (like consumerism changed life in the 1920s).
