Conglomerates
A major corporation that includes a number of smaller companies in unrelated industries
ITT
International Telephone and Telegraph
Franchise
Company that offers similar products or services in many locations
Ray Kroc
Opened his first McDonald’s restaurant inDes Plaines, Illinois
William Whyte
Described how the new, large organizations created “company people.”
Baby Boom
Unprecedented population explosion
Dr.Jonas Salk
Developed a vac–cine for the crippling disease poliomyelitis—polio
The Feminine Mystique
Groundbreaking 1963 book about women and society
Automania
Suburban living made owning a car a necessity
Interstate Highway Act
Authorized the building of a nationwide highway network—41,000miles of expressways
The Drive–in
Such as drive–in movies, restaurants, and shopping malls
Consumerism
Buying material goods, came to be equated with success
Planned obsolescence
In order to encourage consumers to purchase more goods, manufacturers purposely designed products to become obsolete—that is, to wear out or become outdated—in a short period of time
Credit card
Many consumers made their purchases on credit and therefore did not have to pay for them right away
