Teenage Dating in the 1950s
Teenagers in the 1950's are so iconic that, for some, they represent the last generation of innocence before it is "lost" in the sixties. When asked to imagine this lost group, images of bobbysoxers, letterman jackets, malt shops and sock hops come instantly to mind. Images like these are so classic, they, for a number of people, are "as American as apple pie." They are produced and perpetuated by the media, through films like Grease and Pleasantville and television shows like Happy Days, The Donna Reed Show, and Leave It to Beaver. Because of these entertainment forums, these images will continue to be a pop cultural symbol of the 1950's. After the second World War, teenagers became much more noticeable in America (Bailey 47). Their presence and existence became readily more apparent because they were granted more freedom than previous generations ever were.
Teenagers like these were unique. They were given a chance to redefine the ways things were done in America. One of the conventions they put a new spin on, and consequently revolutionize, is the idea and practice of dating. The 1950's set up precedents in dating that led to what many consider "normal" dating today.
ORIGINS OF DATING
Dating is definitely an "American phenomenon." Few other countries carry on this practice with as much fervor as Americans do. Then again, few other countries have the same social conditions as America. Since the turn of the century, there has been a greater freedom between men and women, for example, both attend the same schools with the same classes. Both sexes become accustomed to the other at early ages which is very conducive to the practice of dating (Merrill 61).
Dating essentially replaced the pra...
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...isible. They drove cars and had money to spend. They were a new source of power, independent from their parents and ready for a change.
Works Cited
Bailey, Beth. From Front Porch to Back Seat. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University, 1988.
"Cross Country Report on Teens." Seventeen Sept. 1959: 134-135.
"Do I have the right to love?" Seventeen May 1959: 136.
Gould, Sandra. Always Say Maybe. New York: Golden Press, 1960.
"How Much Do Boys Spend on Girls?" Seventeen June 1959: 75, 121.
McGinnis, Tom. A Girl's Guide to Dating and Going Steady. New York: Doubleday, 1968.
Merrill, Frances E. Courtship and Marriage. New York: William Sloane, 1949.
Sadler, William. Courtship and Love. New York: Macmillan, 1952.
Smith, Ken. Mental Hygiene: Classroom Films 1945-1970. New York: Blast Books, 1999.
"The Art of Pursuit." Seventeen Feb. 1959: 72-73, 131.
Stephanie Coontz's essay `What we really miss about the 1950's' is an essay that talks about a poll taken in 1996 by the Knight-Ridder news agency that more Americans preferred 1950's as the best decade for children to grow up. Coontz doesn't believe that it is a decade for people to remember fondly about, except for financial reasons and better communication within families. Coontz doesn't believe in it as the best decade because of the votes, the 50's only won by nine percent, and especially not by African Americans. Examples from family and financial issues in the 50's that makes it better than other decades from 20's to 80's. She doesn't believe that the 50's should be taken `literally' because from 50's there were changes in values that caused racism, sexism discrimination against women. Even though the 50's were good, it didn't lead to a better 60, 70, and 80.
Beth Bailey published the article “From Front Porch to Backseat: The History of Dating” in the magazine titled “OAH Magazine of History” in the July 2004 issue. This excerpt comes from her book, From Front Porch to Back Seat: Courtship in the Twentieth-Century America. Bailey is a social/cultural historian of the 20th century United States. She is employed with Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, her area of research focusing on the history of gender and sexuality and on war and society/military institutions in the U.S. history. Bailey has published numerous other books that have received high ratings. In the article, Bailey presents some...
With the beginnings of the cold war the media and propaganda machine was instrumental in the idea of the nuclear family and how that made America and democracy superior to the “evils” of the Soviet Union and Communism; with this in mind the main goal of the 50’s women was to get married. The women of the time were becoming wives in their late teens and early twenties. Even if a women went to college it was assumed that she was there to meet her future husband. Generally a woman’s economic survival was dependent on men and employment opportunities were minimal.
The institutions, cultural forms, and economic powers were lifted as the term “teenager” itself was created to differentiate young men and women from adults (University of Toronto 145). The clothing trends, hairstyles, dances and even the language was different from that of adults (Armstrong et al, 134). Young men and women enjoyed dressing themselves with blue jeans, leather jackets,and pony tails for women, which stood as an identity for teenagers as it differentiated them from adults (Armstrong et al,135). This idea was amazing to acknowledge because a new type of people are emerging, and this added to Canadian multiculturalism and acceptance of the different types of people.The adults response to the wild nature of teenagers was that they were left shocked at first, yet later they acknowledged this act as just a phase during one’s life, they got used to this unique behaviour as time progressed (OC University 10). With the brutality of World War 2, the youth at the time were simply left neglected (OC University 10). Many believe that teens during the 1950’s were greatly influenced by being raised during a war generation (OC University 10). The youth distinguished themselves through shocking, yet enjoyable behaviour such as dance moves and their overall mindset on life. In addition, advertisers convinced teens to purchase certain products which
The demographic of the Teenagers was created in the 1950’s due to the giant number of population in this age group and due to teenagers gaining more independence, freedom and privacy.
The flapper life moved at a faster pace. Before this era of change, there was no dating scene where common interaction between men and women heading for spousal relationship could occur. The proper method to finding a spouse was controlled by the male. A young lady was expected to wait for a man to address her with intentions of marriage to begin courting (Rosenberg 1). The war left “nearly a whole generation of young women without suitors” (Rosenberg 1). This situation encouraged the flapper lifestyle because women did not want or have time to wait for a suitor.
The era of the 1950s was an iconic era in American history. The American dream of freedom, self empowerment, and success was growing. After world war 1, the ideals of american culture changed. The country saw the aftermath of the war in the countries of western Europe where communism was beginning to take hold, and the U.S tried to be the opposite. Marriage was propagated to be the opposite of the war torn families across the world, where women were working in factories and children fending for themselves with no home. The American “nuclear family” strived to be one where the father supported his family, the wife stayed home and provided for her children. Family became a national priority, and women were taught that a happy marriage and home
The term teenager came to light at the early 1950’s due to the large population of individuals in that group. This group of individuals had a lot of freedom to purchase clothes, food and any type of music they preferred due to the increase in money for spending. It is during this period that the young individuals flocked up to listen to the most preferred music during those days; rock music. The situation today is very different despite the presence of a few similar elements.
Before the big evolution of rock and roll, the United States was heavily involved in World War II. In this era, teens were expected to grow up at a very early age. Going to school was not one of the main priorities for these young adults during this time, and because of that "teens were expected to take life seriously. [Meaning,] the young men were expected to join the military or go get a job to support their family or their future families, while the young women were taught to take care of the household and prepare themselves to be a dutiful wives and to take care of their [future] children," (Cox). Even though they were expected to grow up early, “teens had very little economic power, freedom, independence, and input into [many of their own] decisions" (Cox).
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"Rock ‘n’ Roll/Teen Rebels." Youth Culture in the 1950's. N.p., 2012. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.
Civil rights and anti-war campaigns moved the younger generation of the 1960s to question their parents’ conservative beliefs. Coupled with the availability of oral contraceptives and you have a generation with a value shift. The shift resulted in more women working outside of the home and a push toward equal rights among men and women. Fashion soon shifted to a more openly sexual style including; miniskirts, long tight pants worn with go-go boots, bell bottom jeans, and love beads. There was even a shift towa...
Worldly dating can be defined as a method of introduction and carrying out of a pre-marital relationship between a single man and a single woman:…that begins with either the man or the woman initiating with the other…that is conducted outside the formal oversight or authority of either person’s family or church…that may or may not have marriage as its goal and is often purely recreational or educational. (Croft)
The nineteen fifties was a decade of prosperous times in America, but the average lifestyle of an American seemed extremely dull. The average American conformed to social norms, most Americans in the nineteen fifties dressed alike, talked the same way, and seemed to have the same types of personality. Music is what started to change the conformist lifestyle in America. Teenagers started to rebellion against their families by listening to Rock-n-Roll...
Teen years are a difficult time, with hormones out of control, trying to fit in, and figuring who you are. Dating is a big deal during this time because everyone starts to do it so one might feel peer pressured into wanting to date also. Without having any experience it can be really difficult for teens, relationships can go bad and the teen can become hopeless. This is why we believe that parents should be involved in their teen 's dating experience. By the parents being involved they can provide their teens with expectations that they have for them, they will have a less chance of falling victims of domestic relationships, parents will be able to provide emotional support to their child