Suburbanization and the American Dream
<p>The movement of Americans to suburbs after World War II was one of the most profound social and geographical transformations in United States history. Suburbanization was so transformative that home-ownership became a major factor in the construction of American identity — a symbol of living the American Dream.</p>
<p>Popular media construed this suburban dream as an egalitarian and fulfilling product of capitalism. Suburbanization was seen as the result of market-driven economic growth, fueled by self-made successful individuals realizing their ambitions through their own efforts. Suburban homes were ostensibly available to all who played by society’s rules. Above all, detached homes were idealized as castles of happiness. Popular media portrayed the move to the ‘burbs as the solution to life’s challenges. This “mystique of fulfillment,” as the feminist writer Betty Friedan called it, became a treasured motif of American culture.</p>
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