1. How did mass production technologies from World War II contribute to the rise of consumer culture in postwar Europe?
2. What role did American-style consumerism play in shaping European consumer culture after 1945?
3. What domestic innovations and commodities characterized the postwar consumer boom in Europe?
A. Radios and Television
1. How did mass production of radios and televisions serve as a social equalizer in 20th-century Europe?
2. What does the 1954 World Cup broadcast demonstrate about the impact of television on European society?
B. Telephones and Computers
1. How did the evolution of computers from the 1940s to the 1980s change their role in European society?
2. Why is the Internet considered an unparalleled equalizer compared to earlier communication technologies?
3. What does the digital divide revealed by 2021 Internet access statistics suggest about globalization?
C. Concerns about U.S. Influence
1. What cultural products from the United States became popular in Europe during the second half of the 20th century?
2. How have European governments responded to concerns about American cultural influence?
D. Transportation
1. How did automobile ownership and air travel increase mobility and connectivity in 20th-century Europe?
A. Environmentalism and Green Parties
1. What environmental problems emerged from rapid industrialization and increased farm production by the 1960s?
2. How did the 1973 oil crisis influence the development of the European environmental movement?
3. What were the origins and primary goals of die Grรผnen, the first major Green Party in Europe?
4. How did Green Parties expand across Europe from the 1970s through the 2010s?
globalization
European Greens
die Grรผnen