What were the main characteristics of the affluent society of the 1950s?
Cite direct quotations. As a rule they can be valuable in underscoring a point, but avoid lengthy and excessive quotations: they are boring. With regard to formatting, you should simply note the author and page number in a parenthetical reference. For example, “The 1880s witnessed a new wave of labor organizing. At its center stood the Knights of Labor” (Foner 629).