American Society After the World War II

America after WWII
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America after WWII
The entry of the U.S. into WWII caused numerous changes in virtually all the aspects of American life. During the war, millions of men and women joined the military as more individuals worked in the war industries. While America suffered combat deaths during this period, the end of the war allowed the country to accelerate its economic growth. The end of the war brought about changes in social and economic aspects of Americans.
More individuals moved to suburban areas after WWII. Before WWII, less than 15% of Americans resided in suburban areas. However, the end of the war caused more Americans to move from farms and cities to suburban areas (Nicolaides & Wiese, 2017). The soldiers who returned from war wanted to reside in areas outside of the city. Further, the post-war economy was prosperous, which prompted more Americans to value leisure time and increased the priority on the family unit. Hence, the desire to separate work and family attracted more people to the suburban areas. Additionally, the GI Bill provided a range of benefits to war veterans, including low-interest houses that required no down payment (Zhang, 2018). The terns for construction for the new houses were more favorable compared to the existing housing. Hence, the high-quality of the houses constructed in the suburban area and their low cost especially to the war veterans led to families to move from the urban apartments to the newly built suburban homes.
The end of WWII led to the shift from the production of war-related products to consumer goods. By the end of the 1950s, one in every six American workers were employed in the automobile industry (Hirschman & Mogford, 2009). Other industries made a shift to consumer-based products, which increased consumerism in America. Americans invested in products based around the home and other family aspects. The American consumer after the war was considered patriotic. Furthermore, the availability of more disposable income allowed youths to devote more time to leisure acti...