The Fad of the Forties.

The Exclusion of Blacks from Suburbia.

The Suburban Good Life.

Families in Suburbia.

Barbecues in Levittown.

Young suburban families went on spending sprees to "keep up with the Joneses," to have the same new appliances and toys as the family next door. A 1960 study of the psychology of spending noted: "The impact of suburbia on consumer behavior can hardly be overstated. . . . Young people choose to marry early, to have several children in the early years of marriage, to live in nice neighborhoods, and to have cars, washing machines, refrigerators, television sets, and several other appliances at the same time." The suburban good life revolved around home and children, with families gathering at a neighbor's house for Sunday barbecues or at Little League games. Family-centered consumption was viewed as an investment in the strength and stability of family life, rather than...