living standards change

• key features that showed change to standard of living 1917-41


  home ownership by 1940 -

  6.7 million vs 19.6 million 1920-40

  78% homes had electricity

  49% homes cooked by gas

  44% homes had refrigerators

  82% homes had a radio
• spending money

  22% of all goods sold in chain stores

  J.C penny
• food + appliances by 1940

  21% wages spent on food in 1940 compared to 24% 1930

  50% homes in 1940 had washing machine, fridge and toaster
• health and education 1940

  government invested more in providing free healthcare

  $3 million 1917

  $32 million 1940

  children 14 - 17 in education in 1917 compared to 1940 went from 27% to 73%
• life at the bottom

  farm workers earned $298 a year with only basic food and board

  wages of a non white person was 1/4 that of a white worker
• growth of consumerist society 1941 - 1960

  people saved money WWII

  no consumer goods to buy, people wanted to spend their money when war ended, tech. innovation meant more consumer goods to buy

  came in range of styles and models
• 1941 - 60 TV impact

  TV and mass advertising via sponsorships/commercials promoted idea of American dream

  'must have now' culture, more stayed home to eat and tv dinners

  1950: 9% owned tv but 1960: 85% owned tv

  children, women and teens were target customers

  pester power

  betty crocker instant cake mix, tupperware and labour saving devices popular with women
• health and nutrition


  worsened

  people wanted high fat/sugar foods not available during war

  growth of convenience and processed foods made diets worse
• teens 1950s and 60s consumers America

  $10 billion alone spent 1959

  1.5 million teenage car owners, second hand car market for teens

  $20 million on lipstick

  20% more teens that adults ate out

  drive ins

  $75 million spent on records by teens
• was life better than in 1960 than it was in 1940?

  62% Americans owned a home by 1960

  93% of homes running water

  86% flush toilet

  85% had a bath or shower

  92% had a radio
• key problems facing non white Americans 1961 - 80


  harder to get jobs and paid less

  1960 income for white family 5800 but 3200 for black family

  affirmative action slow and resented

  black middle class 27% of all workers

  12% of White Americans and 41% of non white Americans lived below poverty line

  white flight exodus from city to suburbs

  significant deprivation in inner cities
• federal anti poverty policies of the 1960s


  Johnson's great society to fight war on poverty

  $900 million in funding

  congress didn't pass all welfare bills but expanded benefits

  CAP's community action programmes provided aid local level, some projects failed however competition for funding

  1964 Economic Opportunity Act gave further $900 million to fight poverty/provide training

  1964 Food Stamp Act supported 15 million
• How did anti poverty policies change by start of 1970s

  Issue of poverty too big for johnson's policy to work

  Nixon focused mainly on old, children and disability more measurable for impact and enlarged food stamp programme

  Carter was too ambitious and tried to merge great society ideals with Nixon's policies, congress did not support nor those in his own party