The Role Of Television In The 1950's And 1960s

Amy Bosma

Professor Frazer

AMH2020-Monday 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

15 April 2017

Learning Outcomes Essay The role of the television in the late 1950’s and 1960’s played a significant role in American households. In fact, never before had a media captivated audiences since the inception of the radio. While the earliest televisions were black and white, households that could afford this luxury were mostly, white, middle class. Towards the mid 1950’s the first color television broadcast aired by CBS. Moreover, the television dramatically influenced the social, political, and economical landscape of American households in this era. First, the impact of the television in the 1950’s strongly affected the social aspects of American lives. To begin

While the two political candidates, John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon debated on national television, it directly affected people’s views and opinions of the opposing political candidates (“The Great Debate”). Correspondingly, the topics of civil rights and social injustices were thrust upon the American people through the power of television, captivating society to confront the problems. Later, in the 1960’s the social influences of television shifted to rising political differences, as the Vietnam War horrors were brought into the American families living rooms. Additional, women were seeking workplace equality and reproductive rights, joined protests and gained influence on society through the sway of television (“The Fight for Reproductive

With improvements to broadcasting technologies and greater access by more families, television was now in more homes in the 1960’s, bringing news, advertising, and family comedy shows to the nation. Moreover, the influence on social aspects of people’s live was apparent when it came to depicting women and their gender roles through acting. Consequently, television played another role regarding social dynamics thus, showing the realities of civil rights and the horrors of war. Additionally, television brought the political candidates to the forefront and had a strong influence on the American people’s political ideologies, as the first ever presidential debate aired on television. Finally, television aided the economy by waging advertising campaigns that convinced consumers to purchase their products. Coupled with consumer’s extra income contributing to a strong economy, despite the slightly high unemployment rates. As can be seen, television played a key role in the social, political, and economic culture in the 1950’s and