America in Transition Economic Cultural and Social Change

“America in Transition” Economic, Cultural and Social Change in the late Twentieth Century

I. A Changing People

A. An Aging Population • After 1970, lower birth rates and delayed marriages • Median age of the U. S. population consequently grew • The “graying of America” has proven to be both a blessing and a burden

B. The Rise of the Sunbelt • Between 1970 -1990, 90% of the nation’s population growth came in the South and the West • 1980 Census: More people in the south and west than in the north and east

B. The Rise of the Sunbelt (cont. ) • Conservative, sunbelt coalition elects Reagan • South now has a 2 -party system • Reasons for this demographic shift • The “Gunbelt” • Government spending in the space program also promoted Sunbelt growth

C. New Immigration • After 1970, Asia and Latin America become the major source of U. S. immigrants • Dramatic increase in immigration after 1880 • Asian-Americans = fastest growing segment of the U. S. population • The Refugee Act of 1980

C. New Immigration (cont. ) • Immigrants clustered in a handful of states and cities • Rising conflict between old and new ethnic groups • Irony in the fact that new immigrants were often very industrious and successful • Increased Black-White tension • Disappearing sense of “American community”

D. New Patterns of Urbanization • By 1990, a majority of Americans lived in cities of a million people or more • Suburbs melded into “urban corridors” • “Edge Cities” rival the central cities that gave them birth

E. Changing Family Patterns • Number of women in the work force continued to grow • Women = better educated • Decline in the traditional 2 -parent family unit • Many more people living alone— 25% of U. S. households in 1990 • Problems for Black males

II. Economic Transformations

A. New Technologies • During the 1970’s, sales of home computers soared --Apple vs. IBM • Artificial Intelligence capabilities • An “Information Revolution” --E-mail, fax machines, voice mail, World Wide Web, cellular phones

B. Big Business • Computerized communications transformed the way of doing business forever • Bank Cards, private debt and personal bankruptcies soared • The ATM revolution

B. Big Business (cont. ) • Franchising and chain stores change the way consumer products are bought and sold --Chili’s and Starbucks --Sam Walton and Wal. Mart • American chains expand overseas • International production

B. Big Business (cont. ) • Foreign interests buy U. S. companies • The “globalization” of industrial giants • After 1970, postindustrial restructuring became a fact of life • Union membership declines • “De-skilling” of the American labor force

III. The Environment • The “Environmental Movement” --1 st Earth Day (1970) • Congressional Action during the 1970’s --The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA — 1970) • Environmentalism prompted heated public debate

III. The Environment (cont. ) • New standards brought some significant improvements • Creation of a cleanup “Superfund” • Reagan tries to reverse government environmentalism --Secretary of the Interior James Watt • Environmental debates lessens in the 1990’s

III. The Environment (cont. ) • Growing focus on international ecological dangers -- “global warming” • International meetings on environmental issues became frequent • Concerns over U. S. dependence on fossil fuels as an energy source

III. The Environment (cont. ) • Creation of the Department of Energy (1977) • The Perils of Nuclear power --Three Mile Island (1979) • Battles with OPEC over the cost of oil • Tapping new oil supplies and OPEC rivalries help

IV. Media and Culture

A. The Video Revolution • By the 1990’s, the video screen became the symbol of the nation’s mass culture • The omnipresence of the video monitor • 1970’s were the last decade of dominance by the 3 major television networks

A. The Video Revolution (cont. ) • Original strategy of offering generalinterest programming to attract a mass audience • CBS jettisons this strategy in the 1970’s to attract viewers more likely to spend money on new products

A. The Video Revolution (cont. ) • CBS also used its comedy lineup to address more controversial programming -- “All in the Family” -- “Mary Tyler Moore Show” -- “M*A*S*H” -- “Saturday Night Live” (1975)

A. The Video Revolution (cont. ) • ABC begins to cultivate the teen audience during the 1970’s -- “Charlie’s Angels” -- “Three’s Company” -- “Kojak” -- “Happy Days” -- “Fantasy Island”

A. The Video Revolution (cont. ) • Rising Profits for the 3 major networks during the 1970’s • During the 1980’s, the major networks confronted a slow, steady loss of viewers -- “The Bill Cosby Show” -- “Cheers” • Independent stations begin to compete in local markets

A. The Video Revolution (cont. ) • Debut of the Fox Network (1988) -- “The Simpsons” • The impact of remotecontrol and the VCR • Cable television further fragments TV viewership --65% of U. S. homes wired for cable by 1995 --Ted Turner and CNN

B. The Movies • Ticket prices for movies rise after 1970 • Hollywood focuses on producing a few blockbuster epics -- “Star Wars” (1977) -- “Rocky” (1976) • Many box office duds, too

B. The Movies (cont. ) • Because of the duds, Hollywood plays it safe with story lines and special effects that have worked in the past -- “Batman” and “Jurassic Park” (1993) • Video rental stores and multiplex suburban theaters in the 80’s & 90’s • MTV is launched in 1981

C. The New Mass Culture Debate • Mass culture studies at U. S. universities during the 80’s & 90’s • Subculture creation by some shows • Controversy over university cultural studies -- The Closing of the American Mind (1987) -- “Politically Correct”

C. The New Mass Culture Debate (cont. ) • Studies show babyboomers wanted stronger family and religious ties in the 80’s • Yet, they displayed more tolerance for cultural diversity • Controversy over the NEA and the NEH • The conservative attack on “secular humanism”

V. Social Activism and Conservative Politics • Social ferment intensifies after the 1960’s • The importance of the mass demonstration -- “Million March” (1995) -- Promise Keepers march on Washington (1997) • Mass demonstrations fail to draw media attention

V. Social Activism and Conservative Politics (cont. ) • “Consciousness-raising” in the 1970’s • Growing concerns among women over economic self -sufficiency and equal pay • The “feminization” of poverty • Diversity in the women’s movement proves to be a strength

V. Social Activism and Conservative Politics (cont. ) • Sexual harassment becomes a contemporary issue --Anita Hill -- “Tailhook” convention (1991) • “Afrocentrism as a movement during the 1970’s

V. Social Activism and Conservative Politics (cont. ) • “Malcolmania” --Spike Lee • Racial pride in rap and hip -hop music • Reconciling Black pride with the American “melting pot” • NAACP debate over integration versus separate Black schools (1997)

V. Social Activism and Conservative Politics (cont. ) • Gap between Blacks and Whites continues to a greater degree than most would like to acknowledge --O. J. Simpson Murder Trial • Native Americans and gambling casinos

V. Social Activism and Conservative Politics (cont. ) • The media proclaimed the 1980’s the decade of the Hispanics • Enormous diversity within this designation • Diversity among Asian Americans • Quotas and the “Politics of Group Identity” -- “Affirmative Action”

V. Social Activism and Conservative Politics (cont. ) • Affirmative Action sparked tremendous controversy • The rise of racial and ethnic inter-marriage • The “New Right” with evangelical Christian roots --Pat Robertson’s 700 Club --Rush Limbaugh