According to social critics, what were the weakness of American society in the 1950s?

The 1950’s were a time of change for America.  The war had been over for long enough that Americans were re-settling into their lives.   Rock music made the scene as well as radical new ideas among America's youth.

America was living in an economy that was on the upswing.  For African Americans the time of limited rights was coming to an end.  America failed to realize the impact that log term restriction of rights would have on the communities.  It became a boiling pot of civil rights protests and the country was strained.

Teenagers began to experience a significant generation gap.  They became more outspoken and conflict was evident between the generations as parents resented that the teens had become lazy and used to having money to spend without having o work hard to get it.

It was also a time of a strong political climate that was created by the Cold War with communism.  Suspicions were high concerning the infiltration of communists.  People like McCarthy were allowed to violate the rights of Americans and the public supported it.  Many people were black listed and could not get employment or lost jobs once they were put on the list.  The country was at risk of destroying the rights established in the constitution.

America became a materialistic society which changed the face of America from the wholesome farm family to the office trend setter.  The patterns of spending appeared to be good at first and capitalism abounded.  However, the poor families still suffered even more as the gap between incomes widened.