The GI generation invested more money in their home life than any generation before them, leading to an increased number of children and to the postwar "baby boom". With this increased value in the home life there was then a rise in many industries which had never been prominent in the past. These industries all surrounded the family and day to day life in suburban America, including the wedding, appliance, automobile, and textiles industries. The search for the American dream lead to this fast rise in industry which then ultimately lead to more jobs and a faster growing economy for post war America.
"The Boomers would demand 'clothing, furniture, appliances, automobile, and everything else that goes to make up the high standard of American living.'" (Blaszczyk 185). These demands created work for those who needed it and good for those consumers demanding them. The new idea of a "traditional" wedding alone led the wedding industry to succeed greatly in many sreas with an increase in jewelry and dress sales, and the quality of those items bought. The rental of venues and services such as catering and florists also aided in the creation of much revenue for these businesses and lead to the blossoming of the wedding industry.
Once couples were married they then had to purchase a home with appliances and furniture to furnish it. In order to achieve the perfect vision of the American dream these furnishings had to be top of the line and the most in style available. The increase in demand of populuxe goods and furnishing for the home were able to provide homeowners with a sense of "comfot and style, industrial might and national achievement." (Blaszczyk 184). This was a national achievement on both ends of the spectrum providing consumers with goods and aiding the economy as well. As well as the high demands for goods for the home, the American dream was also marked with the type of car a person owned, making the automobile industry thrive during this period as well. Over all the post war economy flourished as a reasult of the high number of consumers demanding goods at once, would another baby boom be a possible solution to the economic crisis America is faced with today or would it work in opposition to our needs and create a larger problem for the nation?
By Jourdan Stone section 01
You present a very interesting argument at the end when you talk about whether a baby boom could pull us out of this recession. But it is possible that these needs and wants were established within the soldiers while they were away from home and not as a result of the growing population.
ReplyDeleteIn reality it may have been the war that inspired the baby boom. So you could argue the war created a new found consumer culture that made our economy erupt into a global power. But this was also going on during the war when America was making war materials even before Pearl Harbor.
What are your thoughts on whether a baby boom would trigger better economic times?
The Baby Boomers of postwar America did a significant amount of consumption and contribution to a better economy. I believe that another baby boom would be a great solution to the present day's economic crisis in America. With so many people holding onto their money and creating a shortage of monetary circulation, a new generation of confident Americans need to step up and demand more services and goods in order to create more jobs and a healthy balance of supply and demand in the economy.
ReplyDeleteA baby boom would initiate people to once again have higher standards of American living which would eventually create a flourishing economy.
RE: An Increased Value of the Home to an Increase Economy
ReplyDeleteThe Boomer generation and the variety of markets that mass of people created were instrumental in initiating consumer culture on a large scale. The ever rising standard of living also made the identity kit items like electric appliances and an automobile “necessities”. I have to point out that the Boomer’s preoccupation, as well as our current fixation, with more, better and the general view that the standard of living must continue to rise is a two edge sword. The excess and waste of valuable resources is a consequence of that mentality. With that in mind, I think that another baby boom would severely tax an already dysfunctional system. Perhaps stressing community, networking and resource pooling is a more social, environmental, and sustainable option.
M.Ciccone: Section 01
Your post accurately retraces the impact of the Baby Boomer generation on the mass market economy of the United States. Indeed, they were responsible for the rise and and growth of many industries. A second Baby Boom, however, would not solve the economic crisis we face today. The problem with our economy, which has shifted from manufacturing based to service based, is not a lack of consumers. The problem lay in a lack of knowledgable consumers. Too many people do not know how to budget their money and live within their means.
ReplyDeleteI do not see another “baby boom” as a logical solution to pull us out of today’s suffering economy. If anything, I think more babies would result in tougher times for families. The issue of today is not about the production of goods, but rather the rate at which they are produced and consumed. There are more than enough products on the market, yet less and less money to consume them. Babies can be seen as one of the largest investments one can make and while the supplies are there, the prices increase while salaries decrease. It is hard enough providing for one’s self, let alone a newborn.
ReplyDeleteEven in dire times like these, we still consume greatly as a country. A baby boom today would get us nowhere. Rather, it would increase the [suffering] population, but that is a whole different topic.
Jourdan,
ReplyDeleteYou bring up an interesting point. In my opinion another baby boom with our current economic conditions might do more harm than good to the families having these babies and to society, and our government who will be forced to support this boom of children. Our current economy is unstable, we no longer manufacturer goods at the rates we once did during the original Baby Boom. Therefore, creating this additional boom of children will not guarantee those parents jobs, which in fact add additional stress to the current familial situations. Our foundation for a stable economy has been weathering under our noses for last twenty to thirty years, until we as a nation can restructure and stabilize our economy we cannot rely on Baby Booming to recover our current economic conditions.
I don't believe another Baby Boom is a feasible solution to our current economic crisis. In fact,I think that it would hurt our economy even more. Another Baby Boom would just put a bigger strain on our resources. The problem isn't a lack of consumers, it's a lack of manufacturers. The only way another Baby Boom could help us is if we brought manufacturing back to America before the troops came home (which is next to impossible). We've created a race to the bottom that I'm not so sure we can stop.
ReplyDeleteI believe that we really can't have another Baby Boom. My reasoning for this is simple, it's because the world has drastically changed since the first baby boom. The invention of credit cards has seriously ruined our economy and the baby boom sparked a new era of prioritizing household items and comfort. We are the product of this era, and see how well we fair. I don't believe we should have another baby boom not only because there wouldn't be any room for our future generation, but also because we value material items so much that by the time they would be of age to make an impact in the economy, they'll probably be broke from years of consumer spending
ReplyDeleteInteresting question about another baby boom, but I am not too sure it would have the same impact. During the past baby boom all of these technologies were just developing so that most families could have them. Now a days these technologies have been existent and another baby boom wouldn't do anything but clog up our unemployment rate more over time because most products aren't made in the U.S. like they were during the baby boom
ReplyDeleteInteresting read to discover how far we've come overall as a consumer society. You asked a good question at the end of your blog. I do not believe a baby boom would help us in the slightest. We are already over populated and struggling for jobs as it is. I believe bringing more life into this country would not stimulate the economy in the slightest. Our resources would be maxed out and many jobs that continue to be send overseas would not be changed.
ReplyDelete