”Superman, kitchens and the battle of minds and souls. Danish reflections on the cold war

and the welfare state”

Klaus Petersen

Centre for Welfare State Research

University of Southern Denmark

Three relations

Cold War

Welfare state

America-nization

Denmark in the 1950sPolitically• Since the 1930s Social Democracy had been the dominating political party• Political culture dominated by consensus and negotiationEconomy• Relatively poor country until late 1950s• Late modernization and economic growth• Small open economySocial• Modern welfare state (social security)• Equality and social citizenshipCulture• Homogenous society: Language, religion• Strong democratic tradition• Welfare state culture (belief in state solutions, paternalistic)International orientation• Member of NATO since 1949• Marshall Help recipient• American free trade bloc (IMF, GATT)• Nordic welfare identity (third way)

The Cold War and the Welfare State

General arguments:

• National expansion of the Cold War

• Revolution insurance• Small nation state

strategy

Danish arguments

• Consensus-building• 3. road strategy• Anti-communist

strategy• ”Bread or Weapon”?

Example 1: Communist organized Womens demonstration 1947 (”We demand soap and cheaper underwear”)

Example 2: Communist Poster Against DK buying US Jet Fighters (”For en Air Fighter you can get … 4 sheets for

each newly married couple”

What is Americanization?

• Standardizing new citizens in the US

• American influences on other countries

• Similar concepts (synonyms)

- Coca-Colanization

- McDonaldization

- Modernization/globalization

- Standardization

Americanization and the Welfare State

Different models –but

• Directly:

Policy Transfer

• Indirectly:

America as model

A & WS: Policy Transfer

• Predates 1945 (ex: eugenics, social work)

• Marshall-travellers

• Americanization of social sciences- Henning Friis (1911-1997): New School, Lazarfeldt, Wright Mills- Sociology- Social psychology- Economist, lawyers, political scientist

• Import of the concept: Welfare State

A & WS: US as a model

• A vision of the future

• Role model for modernization

• Creolization

Fields:Language

• Economy (capital, production)• Market economy (liberalization,

marketing strategies, retail trade etc.)

• Political Economy• High culture• Popular culture (commercial

culture): Film, Music, comics etc.• American way of life (homes, cars

etc.)• Consumer culture (products and

ways of consuming)• Youth culture (fashion, life style,

protest)

Wikipedia: Definition

• “Americanization (or Americanisation) is the term used for the influence the United States of America has on the culture of other countries, resulting in such phenomena as the substitution of a given culture with American culture. When encountered unwillingly or perforce, it has a negative connotation; when sought voluntarily, it has a positive connotation.”

What it is about?

• US as role model for modernization, a vision for the future or as a dystopia

• Cultural encounter

Americanization and the Cold War

• A battle over hearts and minds

• Victoria de Grazia: Irresistible Empire (2005)

What’s the point?

”A supermarket can outweigh a lot of ’isms”

(R.W. Boogaart, American capitalist 1958)

Pictures:

Minister of Trade Lis Groes opening the first Danish self service shop in 1947

US official programmes

• “psychological warfare” or cultural diplomacy

• “information programs”• exchange programs:- introduction of modern retail trade - learning American life style• Undercover operations

Consumer Culture I

• American products under license:- Nylon stockings- Books, comics, magazines

• Ersatz-Americana:- Cigarettes- Sweets- Soft drinks

Ersatz-Americana: Popular Mechanics 1959(”How do we tame the Hydrogen Bomb?”)

Ersatz-Americana: Holiday cigarettes (1956)

– Ersatz-Americana:Majami soft drink

Consumer Culture II

Creating positive images:• American kitchen ideals• Economic growth• Most developed country• US as scientific &

efficient• US as ”in” and

”modern”• Creating security

US as a projection of the future?

”America shows us our future, in so far as one country can reveal it at all to another”

(Karl Kautsky 1902)

But what about anti-americanism?

• An elite project in the 1950s (cultural conservaties & communists

• Supported by business interests

• ”America is different”: pro- and anti-American, the two ”Americas”

• Much anti-americanism imported from the US (comics and ”youth rebellions”)

(BUT ….)

• The Housewife’s dream kitchen (1955)

Youth Culture

• Young people as consumers

• Rock’n’roll

• Jeans (American uniforms)

• Language: OK

• Yankie Bar and Milk Pops

Danish Cold War Thriller (1958)

Rock’n’roll in Denmark

• Copenhagen 1956• Danish cover versions• Preben Uglebjerg

Concluding Remarks

Focus on the relations (the historical contexts) – and not a full explanation

• Americanization: Economic interests, culture, anti-Americanism

• Cold War: Ideology, diplomacy, national interest/security

• Welfare State: Politics, Institutions, ValuesBut inter-related topics, that need to be studied as such.