UNIV 3539 Blog

Until the end of World War II, the domestic lifestyle of Americans was very straightforward. One either lived in the city or country without an "inbetween." Many times a person would still be living in the same house with several generations of the extended family (think "The Waltons") or at the very least right down the road from them. The new postwar America had decided to change those set standards. The parents and children, making a nuclear family, was what was most important and they wished to have a type of separation from the extended family (think about "Leave It to Beaver" and how the audience never really saw any grandparents or aunts and uncles). This move toward the importance of the nuclear family caused some radical changes in American culture. The idea now was to grow up, get a job, and start your own family in your own home. This new philosophy lead to the rapid spread of the suburban community because each child a family had now needed a home of their own once they could support themselves. One of the most drastic changes was the new idea of a "suburban" community. One would live just outside the city but still drive to work everyday into work there. The widespread use of the automobile was really what made this possible. Without it, living outside the city (even if it was just a couple of miles) but continuing to work there would be a major inconvenience. The simple concept of the suburb was mainly about an area that was largely residential with a few conveniences where a person did not have to go to the city for everything, such as a grocery store or a gas station. However, these small conveniences began to grow after some time, turning the suburbs into small cities (think about Millington or Germantown). However, these growing communities have been spotted and preyed upon by the growing cities they are next to--leading to the rise of the metropolis. These areas are starting to become absorbed by the nearby cities to make them huge powers within their own right which leads to further development of land for people who do not want to live in the cities and development of the residential areas into businesses for the city. The simple ambitions of the postwar generation in America helped start a new phase in American culture as well as a new time of development that would lead us into the "post-industrialized" society we have become.

Now that the war was over and the Allies had won the ideas of freedom where about. Coming out of the war victorious and with a strong economy after a depression got people wanting new and "perfect" lives now that they had the chance. Before the suburbs people were living in closer areas and often in appartments or duplexes. this chance to get a fresh start lead to develpment in open areas where people could build the house that they wanted and and have the freedom to not have to live cramped in with others. Also now that america had a strong economy peole could afford to have more children and pets. this started the "nuclear" family, the picture-perfect idea of 2.5 kids, a cat and dog and picket fence. this tied into the suburbs because everybody was going to have their own yard and land to build on for their family.

Technological advancements and the booming economy were the primary reasons of so many families taking advantage of the suburban life. New household items were invented which added simple conveniences to people?s everyday lives such as refrigerators, stoves, and washing machines. Gas prices were at an all-time low, which allowed families to mobilize to new communities and save money to be spent on a new home. Mortgage rates were also at an all-time low and credit was easily accessible by middle-class families. All of these factors contributed to the sprawl of American families to new suburban communities.

Additionally, people had a simple longing to live a quiet life that was disengaged from foreign politics. People became increasingly obsessed with domestic life after so much that had taken place on a global scale (wars, depression, etc.). People?s desire to live a new type of life, along with the external factors of new technology and a strong economy, formed the perfect recipe that lead to the sudden creation of suburban America.

Postwar, consumers demanded more and more goods and services. The government spent large amounts of money providing loans to everyone. Mass production played an important role in the lives of Americans. Government spending and consumers demand led to an era of widespread prosperity, rising living standards and social mobility. Families of the postwar era created a baby boom. More women entered the job market. It was easy to get credit to purchase cars. More people went to college due to loans that were provided by the National Defense Education.

After the war people were able to shift their focus. They were able to focus on their family and making life more convenient and comfortable. People were able to spread their wings. Whereas several generations of a family once lived in a single house this generation was able to purchase and build their own homes. Loans were readily available for those that needed them. People were able to purchase cars that allowed for traveling further distances. Thus allowing them to move into areas outside the city and be able to travel into the city for work and to purchase consumer goods. Technology was increasing. New appliances and gadgest were developed that simplified everyday life.

After the war, Americans felt a great burden lift from their shoulders. We had just gone through the Depression and a World War, where life was hard and tensions ran high. Now, finally, we had won the war, and the economy was doing better than it had in a long time, primarily because of the war. We had the technological advances to be able to come up with new "things", and we now had the finances to do just that. America started creating all these new modern conveniences that before that time were unheard of. Not only that, but because we were more financially stable, we could afford to move out of our tiny apartments in the city and to a nice big house in the suburbs. The American ideal of what we wanted had shifted. We now wanted to live in suburbia. As the suburbs developed, more and more land was developed, quickly turning these suburbs into little cities, so we were beginning to lose a lot of open land to houses.

After WWII people in america was loaning out loans to countries to rebuild themselves. America was mass producing new technology, clothing, and everyday things for themselves and other countries as well. Because of this, America started to make the money to advance them to start living new lives. People started buying houses outside of the cities to raise their families because it was easier to commute into the city to work. Cars were becoming more common to each family. Families soon began buying houses exclusively for themselves and no longer were sharing the houses with other families. The success of Americans boomed after the war to create the new improved living conditions.

Post-war economy people new ideas on how they wanted to live. People now had a new outlook on life and wanted more. Suburban development seemed to be the new American dream and many people aimed toward having this. People now were more financially stable. Improvement in finances allowed people to change their values in a sense. We were now able to afford to live in nuclear family groups.

Until after World War II a household family typically consisted of more than just parents and their children as it does today in the 21st century. Most households consisted of extended families such as the parents? parents, aunts and uncles, etc... However, after the war mass production caused progress within the ordinary people as well as the more fortunate ones. The idea of what we call the ?American Dream? evolved- goals of having a decent job, being married with a couple of kids, owning a home (with a white picket fence), and a nice vehicle. This was everyone?s dream. Supply and demand was the result of a transformation from an ordinary life to an extraordinary one. More houses ere being built outside cities in suburban areas to get privacy that was impossible in overcrowded areas. These newly developed suburban communities brought more people in turn brought more jobs and businesses to the areas. As a result, society profited as a whole.

Everyone wanted the ?dream life? as depicted on TV. They felt this could be accomplished by collecting things, which would make them happy. People had access to credit, and they, unlike the older generations, used it. I believe the feeling of things making us happy still holds true in today?s generations. Today people let their credit cards rule them instead of managing debt wisely. Many Americans are out of control because what was good enough when we were children is not near enough for our children. I would never have guessed nine year old children would have cell phones. We are out of control.

Everyone had transportation to get to those surburbs. After the to world wars, they were tired of it and wanted to live a peaceful life. things have changed a lot since the war. Kids having items we hadnt had when we were little. more houses are being built more cars are being made. todays society has changed a lot

I think that before the war people lived in the country because they where poor and did not have a choice. The people who did live in the city did so because they needed to find work and if they found work they had to stay in the city in order to be close to their job. Many people who moved to the suburbs did so to show that they did not have to live in the country because they where poor and that they did not have to live in the city to be close to work because they could afford to drive. I really feel that it was a status statement.