The Affluent Society

The Affluent Society by John Kenneth Galbraith

Ivy League economist John Kenneth Galbraith published his book, The Affluent Society, in 1958 to examine the “consumer economy” and “political culture” of the 1950s. In his book, he criticized society for focusing so heavily on consumption and production.

Fig. 1 - John Kenneth Galbraith

Galbraith predicted the wealth gap between the rich and poor would continue growing if the economy remained. He warned future generations of the pitfalls of relying on consumerism. As more and more goods are manufactured, the consumer society becomes more wasteful and frivolous. Galbraith recommended specific actions to prevent this, such as investing in education and working to eradicate poverty.

The Affluent Society in the 1950s

Let's go over the key characteristics of the Affluent Society in the 1950s.

The Affluent Society in the 1950s: Consumerism

The 1950s was a period of substantial economic growth in the U.S., a time likened to the Roaring 20s. The predicted decades had seen WWII and, before that, the Great Depression. It had been a few decades since the United States had been able to focus on manufacturing consumer goods. This meant a large backlog of consumer demand and an influx of people capable of spending. Post-war society could remove rations on materials and invest in mass production.

Fig. 2 - family watching television circa 1958

This post-war economy built itself on the use of credit and debt. Since shopping was good for the economy, the government and the media encouraged spending, and a culture of consumerism emerged. Cars were made to be flashy, calm, and fashionable rather than simply functional. Owning the newest refrigerator style and the most modern appliances were highly desired status symbols. Critics of this period observed people becoming more superficial and isolated from one another.

The Affluent Society in the 1950s: Suburban Expansion

In the 1950s, the housing market had a massive influx of business as government programs motivated people to buy and financial institutions to lend.

• The GI Bill helped veterans pursue good educations and establish new careers. Veterans could buy homes with modest or nonexistent down payments and long-term mortgages.

• The Federal Housing Administration insured mortgages and incentivized lenders (such as banks) to give loans to homebuyers.

• The Home Owner’s Loan Corporation would refinance mortgages at risk of default, thus providing more security to lenders and buyers. This corporation would appraise homes by assessing a bunch of factors (like the house's condition, location, and neighborhood) and attributing them with values.

  • But a problem arose with this system--the appraisals would often consider race. Black families and communities were valued notably lower than their White counterparts. Residential Security Maps categorized neighborhoods as more or less ‘safe’ to lend to, putting non-white communities at a severe disadvantage.

The production of homes also increased dramatically with the use of the assembly line to mass-produce homes. These homes are virtually identical (hence the cookie-cutter) and are called Levitt homes after creator William Levitt. There is even Levittown, a development full of Levitt homes (as shown in the figure below).

Fig. 3 - aerial view of Levittown

As we can see in Levittown, another significant change in the Affluent Society was the expansion of the suburbs, a process known as suburbanization. With the assistance of government programs, predominantly white middle-class communities moved out of the city cores and into the suburbs, opting to commute to work but live in 'quieter neighborhoods. This phenomenon was known as "White Flight" and is one of the main ways segregation arose at this time.

The Affluent Society in the 1950s: The Automobile

Another result of mass production was the increase, and reimagining, of car manufacturing. Gone were the days of poverty and war rations when things were built simply for utility--now, people wanted fashion and status. Cars were painted new colors and given new features like wings to make them more aesthetically attractive. With the Federal Highway Act of 1956, highways were built en mass, so people began to rely much more on vehicular transportation. This enabled people to commute more easily to work and further from their homes (like in the suburbs!).

The Affluent Society in the 1950s: The Baby Boom

The societal focus on family values and young adults having the money and time to reproduce led to the famous Baby Boom. The excellent economy made it feasible to raise a family, and the media perpetuated stereotypes like marrying young. For example, they marketed the ideal woman as an utterly devoted housewife and mother (not a career woman). As a result, most women married in their early 20s, and these couples had more children. Between 1946 and 1964, approximately 76 million people were born.

The Affluent Society in the 1950s: Youth Culture

Isn't every generation just a response to the one before? Well, this is undoubtedly true for the Beat Generation! Raised in the homogenous culture of their parents, teens in this generation rebelled against conformity ("The Squares," as they would call them). Teenagers deliberately go against the grain of their society, a phenomenon that is especially apparent in art and music.

Fig. 4 - Elvis Presley

Social Impacts of the Original Affluent Society

How did the Affluent society's values and characteristics influence American culture?

The Affluent Society Summary

The Affluent Society began as a book critiquing the United States' economic and social systems post-World War II. John Kenneth Galbraith saw the inequality these systems created and warned that "economic abundance" would not equate to prosperity for all Americans. And he was not wrong.

Significant social changes occurred in the United States in this post-World War society. There was an influx of production and manufacturing, resulting in a cultural consumerism that, in many ways, established the American persona as we know it today. The economy flourished, making Galbraith's label "affluent" a very accurate picture of this society. But the economic and social inequalities within this decade increased significantly as well. It was a decade of dichotomies: as innovation increased substantially, so did discrimination and social inequality.