Global Industrial Shift in the Sixties

By Hafiz, Andrew, Jenny, Steffi & Chelsea

The 1960s saw great economic expansion for the world, especially in developed countries, where large companies dominated the domestic economy. The decade was the United States’ longest period of uninterrupted growth.

The rapid economic growth in the US began shortly after World War II. The national GDP rose by 250% between 1945 and 1960. The US economy was hit by a recession from 1960 to 1961, which became a campaign platform for presidential candidate John F. Kennedy.

Kennedy sent the US Congress an economic recovery package consisting of twelve measures, including an increase in minimum wage, increased aid for the unemployed, an increase in social security benefits, area redevelopment and federal funding for housing. By early 1963, inflation rates were stable, corporate profits were at record high, and the stock market had recovered.

America’s economy strength outlasted Kennedy’s rule. By the end of the decade, the average American’s income had increased by 50%. Median family income rose from $8,540 in 1963 to 10,770 by 1969. Social security programs such as health care for the elderly and educational aids were initiated.

Many industries grew during the sixties. The ownership of cars increased, driving automobile and oil companies to success. By 1965, General Motors, Ford, and Standard Oil had larger incomes than all of the farms in the United States combined.

Technological advances also led to the rise of the computer industry. For example, IBM began producing a number of computer systems, as well as assisting NASA in the Gemini, Saturn, and Apollo 11 missions.

The aerospace industry also mass-produced jet aircrafts in larger quantities than before. Aerospace companies Boeing, Dassault, British Aircraft Corporation and Saab became successful from contracts with airlines and government bodies.

During the sixties, shifts in manufacturing location began to increase. Companies moved their production centres from developed countries to developing countries. There are several reasons for this, including:

•Lower manufacturing costs, thanks to lower minimum wage and overall lower living costs.•Large market, thanks to the high population growth in many developing countries.•Developments in the transportation of goods, such as shipping containers and jet aircraft, encouraged companies to set up factories worldwide.

Eventually, production of goods shifted away from developed countries and thrived in developing countries in South America, Asia and Africa. The tertiary sector, meanwhile began taking greater importance in the economies of developed countries.

The sixties was also a time of great social and economic changes. It was the height of the Cold War, where the US-led capitalist Western Bloc and the Soviet-led communist Eastern Bloc tried to weaken each other’s grasp on the world and spread their own influences. Both sides stockpiled nuclear weapons, manipulated third world countries as proxies, and raced to make advances in space exploration, among other things.

Thanks to these actions, the decade saw a host of political unrests, such as the construction of the Berlin Wall, the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Cuban missile crisis, Kennedy’s assassination, the Vietnam War, the capture of Gary Powers, the Six-Day War, and many more. Many of these greatly changed various aspects of cultures in the nations involved.

An example is the Vietnam War. The US intervened in the war between South Vietnam and the Eastern Bloc-backed North Vietnam to prevent the spread of communism. The US government initially enjoyed considerable public support. However, unlike many previous wars, the war was widely reported without censorship.

This, along with the conscription of many citizens to strengthen the military, caused the American people to oppose the war. Much of the world began seeing the US as a paranoid, violent country. Protest songs and the peace symbols became widespread, along with a less obedient attitude toward governments. This greatly impacted many world cultures.

The sixties saw changes in the world’s social structure. The discrimination against racial minorities began to see resistance. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech in particular brought together many people to struggle for racial equality, ultimately resulting in great changes in the society’s views. This also helped many countries to achieve independence from colonisation.

Throughout the sixties, many older values began to be rejected by the youth of the era. The widespread use of espionage by both the Eastern and the Western Blocs caused people to distrust the government. Drug use became more widespread. Women demanded greater equality to men, to be able to have careers in addition to motherhood and tried to change older norms about gender roles.

Fashion in the sixties started out resembling fifties fashion. As cultural values began to change throughout the decade, outfits eventually became more revealing, with new designs such as the miniskirt enjoying popularity within the youth of the era.

Music was important throughout the sixties. The widely embraced ideas of the time such as love and peace showed up in many song lyrics. Many songs of the time also protested also protested the ongoing Vietnam War and promoted a carefree lifestyle.

Rock music became popular in the sixties, providing an ideal medium for protest with its firm, anthemic sound. Protest songs such as “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival and “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield were frequently played on the radio.

Pop music also gained popularity during the era, with the English band The Beatles perhaps being most responsible for its success.

The Beatles CCR The DoorsThe Rolling Stones

Bob Dylan

Jimi Hendrix

The Beatles were one of the sixties’ most defining symbols. Throughout their career, the immensely popular band from Liverpool, England, released twelve studio albums and won many awards, including seven Grammys. Their impact on popular culture remains immense to this day.

The Beatles were icons of the global cultural change throughout the sixties. They were associated with movements such as feminism, gay liberation, and environmentalism.

The Beatles also impacted music, fashion and life styles around the world.

The most successful film of the sixties:

•Won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture.•Grossed over $ 282 million, or over $ 1 billion in today’s money.•Won two Golden Globe awards.•Has been preserved in the US National Film Registry as it was deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant”. •Is still immensely popular to this day.

Le Fin* * * * *