In the years following World War II, youth around the world began to undergo radical change, resulting in stylized fashions and subcultures that differed considerably from those of their parents. Britain and the United States were the main manufacturers during the war and this prosperity continued over the following decades, creating general economic prosperity. National optimism for the coming decade peaked when British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan optimistically told fellow Conservatives that the British "have never had it so good" (BBC). While young people in the United Kingdom and North America enjoyed prosperity, rising inflation rates and increased production in manufacturing industries overwhelmed demand for these products and caused an economic recession that affected the global economy, particularly working-class communities. In the 1950s, the country experienced higher levels of prosperity, including increased spending due to higher wages. This allowed the youth of the late 1950s and early 1960s to redirect their attention and efforts towards recreational activities, giving rise to the emergence of the British subcultures of "mods" and “rockers” and the American subculture of “greasers”, from which the British come. the rocker was rod. Mods were characterized by their sense of style, their Italian scooters, and their penchant for African-American jazz music. Many British subcultures were notorious for developing their styles with influences from other cultures (K. Moliné, lecture, April 6, 2011; W. Sheasgreen, lecture, February 7, 2011). The mods, dressed in their tailored suits, were easily ignored by the dominant culture with their si...... middle of paper ......ularity to the other, but this is not often the case , as we see with the punk rock movement. Separated by more than two centuries, British Americans have generations between their cultural brethren across the ponds. However, behind all these cultural differences, the levels of social hierarchy are consistent across nations. Works Cited BBC. 1957: The British “have never lived so well”. Retrieved May 4, 2011, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/20/newsid_3728000/3728225.stmCooper, M. (1978). Recording mirror. “The Sex Pistols: Winterland, San Francisco” [Concert transcript]. Nayak, A. (2003). Race, place, and globalization: youth cultures in a changing world. Oxford: Berg Publishers. Stuart, J. (1996). The rockers! Kings of the road. Louisville, KY: Plexus Publishing. Welsh, I. (1993). Train tracking. Great Britain: Secker & Warburg.