How did military-industrial-governmental linkages of the 1950s ...

[mckennatimberlake]

Question 1

For many contemporary Americans, the decade of the 1950s was an age of Leave it to Beaver when families' worst problems were the children who chewed gum in class. How accurate are these assumptions?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

How did military-industrial-governmental linkages of the 1950s affect the American economy?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[kaylee05]

Answer 1

Students will have a difficult time defending these assumptions. The text points to challenges to conventional sexual morality, from organizations like the Mattachine Society. Parents worried about a great deal more than illicit gum chewing. They worried about juvenile delinquency and illicit sex. The growth of rock 'n' roll, far from being viewed as a harmless escapade by 1950s authorities, was seen as a serious social threat. With one-quarter of middle-class women working for wages, clearly not every family had a June Cleaver waiting to welcome the children home from school.

Answer 2

Students can select a number of different issues to discuss in this essay. All students should be familiar with the importance defense spending had on the American economy and should be able to quantify this effect with information from the chapter. Better students should also be able explain how military spending affected population shifts in the United States, especially the growth of the Sunbelt. Strong students should also see the connection between military spending and more advanced consumer goods, including electronics and plastics, as well as a general attitude that technology could improve life for all Americans.