CWB - Creating a New Society: Culture and Society During the Cold War (Lesson)

Creating a New Society: Culture and Society During the Cold War.

Science and Technology.

For first time in history, "pure theoretical" science and "practical" technology ("applied science") effectively joined together on massive scale during WWII.

  • British scientists developed radar to detect enemy aircraft.
  • Jet aircraft developed by Germany
  • Electronic computers further developed; had barely come into existence before 1939
  • Manhattan Project: Atomic bomb most spectacular result of scientific research during the war; project overseen by J. Robert Oppenheimer

"Big Science" became new model for science after WWII.

      • Combined theoretical work with sophisticated engineering in a large, often huge organization
      • U.S. emerged as leader in Big Science after WWII
      • Science not demobilized after WWII either in U.S. or USSR
      • Large portion of all postwar scientific research went for "defense" (25%!)
      • "Brain Drain": U.S. attracted many of Europe's best scientists during 1950s and 1960s—seen as the American Challenge
      • Some Europeans feared Europe was falling behind U.S. in science, technology, and most dynamic industrial sectors of the late 20th century
      • Yet, revitalized Europe pooled resources on Big Science projects - Concorde supersonic passenger airliner and peaceful uses of atomic energy

Photograph of sputnik

Massive growth of scientific community.

      • Four times as many scientists in Europe and North America in 1975 as in 1945
      • Highly specialized modern scientists and technologists worked as members of a team, which completely changed work and lifestyle of modern scientists
      • James Watson and Francis Crick win Nobel Prize in 1962 for discovering structure of DNA

Space Race (part of Cold War competition to achieve technological superiority)

      • 1957, USSR launched Sputnik (pictured, right), an orbiting satellite using long-range rockets
      • U.S. fearful Soviets could now launch a nuclear missile into space and then down to U.S.
      • Resulted in development of ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles)
      • U.S. countered with creation of NASA and vastly increased educational funding for science
      • 1961, Soviets sent world's first cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, into orbit
      • President John F. Kennedy responded by increasing funds for space
      • 1969, U.S. Apollo Program put first man on the moon; 4 more moon landings followed by 1972

 

Society.

Change in class structure and social reform:

      • Rise of the middle-class largely result of increased access to higher education
      • European society became more mobile and democratic
      • New middle-class, based largely on specialized skills and high levels of education, more open, democratic, and insecure than old propertied middle class
      • Changes in structure of middle class influential in trend toward less rigid class structure
      • Industrial working class ceased to expand while job opportunities for white-collar and service employees grew rapidly
      • European governments reduced class tensions by further expanding social security reforms: health care, family allowances, maternity grants, public housing

Causes for change in rise of middle class:

      • Rapid industrial and technological expansion created in large corporations and gov't agencies lead to powerful demand for technologists and managers
      • Old propertied middle class lost control of many family-owned businesses.
      • Top managers and ranking civil servants represented model for new middle class of salaried specialists; well paid and highly trained
      • Passed on opportunity for advanced education to their children

Structure of lower classes also became more flexible and open:

      • Mass exodus from farms and countryside
      • Resulted in drastic decline in one of Europe's most traditional and least mobile groups

Photograph of 1950's West German woman and refrigerator.Consumerism worked to level Western society:

      • Sparked by rising standard of living which in turn gave more people disposable income
      • European automobile industry expanded phenomenally
      • "Gadget revolution" like the U.S., Europeans bought washing machines, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, dishwashers, radios, TVs, and stereos
      • Purchasing greatly facilitated by installment purchasing
      • Increased social welfare resulted in more disposable income and less need to save for old age
      • Leisure and recreation became big business as workers worked fewer hours: Soccer matches, horse races, movies, TV, commercialized hobbies
      • Increased attendance in cultural events: concerts and exhibitions
      • Travel industry mushroomed most dramatically
      • Before WWII travel for pleasure or relaxation and largely for aristocracy
      • Paid vacations required by law in most countries

 

 

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