Final answer:
Suburbanization in the 1950s affected social movements by contributing to white flight and urban decay, as well as fostering a suburban culture of consumerism and a rise in counterculture among youths. It also marked a shift in the American ideal in popular culture from city to suburban life and resulted in a dependency on automobile culture.
Step-by-step explanation:
The suburbanization of the 1950s had a significant impact on the social movements of the 1950s to 1970s. First, it led to white flight, which saw a large number of middle and upper-class white Americans move to the suburbs, leaving the inner cities. This migration caused urban decay and a decrease in tax revenue for cities, which in turn exacerbated poverty and racial segregation. Second, it contributed to the creation of a new suburban culture that saw a rise in consumerism and conformity. However, beneath this uniformity, suburban youths began to embrace counterculture modes of expression, rebelling against the conformity and leading to the social and cultural upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s.
Suburbanization also led to changes in the representation of the American ideal in popular culture from city life to suburban life. This manifested in television with a shift from shows like 'I Love Lucy' and 'The Honeymooners' representing city living to 'Leave it to Beaver' showcasing suburban life. Beyond aesthetics, the growth of suburbs had environmental implications, including increased dependency on automobiles and a growth in the automobile culture. This reliance on personal vehicles had a long-term impact on urban planning, environmental issues, and economic allocation towards highways and away from public transportation.