Dale Mineshima-Lowe
The American Dream for Some
Summary
In the aftermath of WWII America found itself in a favourable position globally. In the 1950s America’s domestic development grew exponentially both in terms of population and economics. The development and growth of the suburbs helped popularise the myth of the ‘American Dream’ and created the concept of the ‘average American family’ (two parents, two children and a dog). During this talk Dale Mineshima looks at these social and economic developments in contrast with the rising social and political tensions that challenge the myths.
Dale Mineshima-Lowe
Dale Mineshima-Lowe has been teaching in the UK at various higher education institutions over the past 20 years—across a range of politics and human geography topics, as well as teaching politics and social history topics (particularly American history, European modern history, and Japanese history) at the adult-continuing education level for the past 12 years. She is also managing editor for the Center of International Relations, a think tank based in Washington, DC. And when she isn’t teaching, researching, or editing, she sits and jots down ideas for books she’d like to write one day.
It’s seen as a 50s phenomenon in the US in particular because of the return of service personnel, but also this desire for their own homes. It’s a change in terms of the family structure. Whereas in previous generations multiple generations living next door to each other, really close to each other or together. What we start to see in the 1950s is young people returning and wanting their own space.
Yes, but there were still limitations in terms of how they were administered. Similar with black Americans in terms of the G.I. Bill and the VA loans for housing, what we find is women do qualify, but there were also ways in which sometimes they were excluded from gaining some of those access to those benefits as well.