Northwestern Ideas

Events of the 80's

•The 1980’s heavily influenced by the 70’s (Oil prices rose, and gas prices went higher, energy shortage)
•Large economic crisis, high unemployment rates
• April 1980 carter announced that American athletes would not attend the summer Olympic games in Moscow

•Reagan became a predominant political figure

• Reagan and his wife Nancy "spearheaded a lurch" to the right, mirroring the activities of Margret Thatcher in Britain

• Reagan's policies contributed to the destruction of the social welfare system, increasing the gap between rich and poor; hence, making it fashionable to be rich, middle-aged and right-wing

• Clothes became couture-led, traditionally glamorous and extremely expensive

•Women continued to make gains in the 80’s, in 1981 the Supreme Court ruled that a woman cold sue her employer over “comparable worth”
•Women went to work in the 1980’s in unprecedented numbers because economics required 2 breadwinners in a household to pay for everything (home mortgages, new cars, clothing, etc)
•1982 Sony launched first line of CD players
•Many large environmental disasters, both natural and man made during the 80’s (Mount St. Helens, earthquake on the coast, etc.)