CHAPTER 30

Social Changes

IN THIS CHAPTER

Summary: The twentieth-century world wars produced two basic responses—the first, a feeling of
skepticism concerning the future and, the second, the desire to possess the many new products on the
market after both wars. In an attempt to secure a comfortable future for their citizens, Western and
Japanese governments established social welfare systems, particularly for the aged. Women’s rights
increased at the same time that traditional female roles persisted. A new global culture saw the
dominance of Western influence.

Key Terms

cubism
evangelical
fundamentalism
Kabuki theater
Liberation Theology
mass consumerism
National Organization for Women (NOW)
New Deal
No theater
welfare state

Society After World War I

During the 1920s, Western society, most noticeably the United States, saw a rise in mass consumerism
, especially in household appliances and in automobiles. The automobile decreased isolation and also
allowed new freedoms for some adolescents in the United States. Some women turned to fashions that