Governing Prosperity

The 1950s'' undeniable prosperity has become synonymous with conservatism and inertia seen as its hallmark. This book offers a fresh and challenging interpretation of the 1950s in Australia. Nicholas Brown presents the decade as a time of great change brought about by affluence. Society became increasingly complex mass consumption reached new heights and Australia''s role in the world and the region was re-cast. The book looks at the ways in which those overseeing society responded to these post-war changes; in short how they governed prosperity. A history of ideas as well as cultural intellectual and institutional history Governing Prosperity is a major reassessment of the 1950s. It will be particularly important for its analysis of the significance of the decade in the development of Australian society.