While the teenage years are only a small fraction of a person’s life, they are highly significant in human development. In this period, a person experiences “big physical, emotional, intellectual, and social changes,” with the years ending with the arrival of adulthood (Hine 15). As Hine points out, most treat the teenage years as a “self-evident phenomenon, an unavoidable stage of life” (Hine 15). Surprisingly enough, however, the teenage years are a socially constructed concept that date back only about seventy years. First introduced in the 1940s, the concept of the teenager developed and was popularized throughout the 1950s. The concept of the teenager eventually became both a social phenomenon and a marketing target, changing the face
Surprisingly enough, however, the teenage years simply did not exist until the mid-twentieth century. Well, they always existed, but were not recognized as such. The term itself originated in the 1945 New York Times publication of the “Teenage Bill of Rights.” This work was the first instance where teenagers were defined as a new type of person that was “entitled to specific rights and responsibilities” (Oatman-Stanford). The publication lists a distinct set of freedoms that adolescents had, including “the right to a say about [their] own life” and “the right to make mistakes” (Cohen). These declarations were relatively foreign, as up to this point, adolescents were essentially viewed as mini-adults. Before World War II, adolescence was not recognized as a valid stage of life. During and prior to the Industrial Revolution, “the family functioned as an inclusive unit” (Degner 1). Children shared in adult responsibilities, and were expected to act as adults did. Furthermore, children entered the workforce as early as age thirteen, thus resulting in a more rapid maturation. Secondary education in the United States has existed since the seventeenth century, but it was not until the mid-twentieth century “that a significant proportion of children over age 13 attended school” (Degner 1). By 1930, mandatory education laws “‘pushed teenage youth out of the workplace and into the
This new generation was simply “sandwiched in between the generations of new postwar families and their boom of babies,” making it difficult to establish a secure place in American society (Powers). Disapproval from older generations made this development incredibly difficult. To some extent, older generations were simply afraid of the changes happening in the culture of the United States. This fear made older generations especially concerned with the concept of “‘juvenile delinquency’” (Powers). In the 1950s, bad behavior was something of “chewing gum in glass, souping up a hot rod, and talking back to parents” (Powers). Furthermore, parents of teenagers feared the rise of Rock and Roll music. Records were “banned and smashed” and Elvis Presley was condemned by older generations. To quote Michael Ventura, Rock and Roll was music “‘made for teenagers and scared the hell out of adults’” (Powers). The fear of the teenager is particularly indicative of the 1950s, as it represents a social transition and a new generation’s initiation into American
Workers who work with adolescents and, especially, parents would enjoy this book since it would bring understanding and the reader could personally relate to the author. As the author evidently strives to effectively raise adults, parents likewise strive. In this endeavor, since this book provided a history of the adolescent’s culture, the current state of the adolescent’s culture, relational qualities to implement while approaching teenagers, and how to practical respond to teenagers’ issues. Overall, this is a beneficial
Many Americans believed that rock n’ roll was an irritant that provoked conflict between parents and teenagers and increased antisocial behavior. Acknowledging that there was no simple, casual equation between enjoying Elvis and arranging a rumble, they remained convinced that rock n’ roll reinforced the most worrisome aspects of youth culture. Because films displayed nudity, teenagers were introduced to various sexual activities displayed on the television.
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 baby boom was a big contributor to the new word “Teenager” as in “The 10 years from 1946 to 1956, the population increased by 20 percent, in Canada. Those new kids demanded new furniture, new clothes and more food be produced, along with new houses, and new cars and lots of other services like schools and playgrounds, and swimming pools and hockey rinks. Lots of ne...
The story of the birth of rock ‘n’ roll has a mythical quality to it. It speaks of racial barriers bridged through the fusion of Afro-American musical styles with white popular music in 1950s America. Not only did white record producers and radio disc jockeys market Afro-American artists, but white artists began to cover their songs, as well as incorporate Afro-American style into their own song writing. The musical style was so powerful that the white audience was infected by it, despite the social stigma that listening to “race music” possessed. The common view of teenagers’ participation in the creation of rock ‘n’ roll as an act of rebellion runs parallel with the music’s legendary origins. Through rock ‘n’ roll, the teenagers of the United States created a generational gap that angered their parents’ generation. Teenagers rejected kitchy Tin Pan Alley, “Sing Along with Mitch,” and the sleepy crooning of Perry Como in favour of sexually charged race music. Historians have taken different approaches to the question of teen rebellion. While some consider their love of rock ‘n’ roll revolutionary, others argue that the music cemented teenagers within the conformity and materialism of the 1950s; what cars were to adults, rock ‘n’ roll was to teens.[1]
Since the beginning of time, humans have been changing, developing, and evolving. The 1950s was a fascinating era in American history, and whether its people altered for good or bad is debatable, but one thing is for certain - many drastic changes were made during this time, especially involving teenagers. Juvenile delinquency erupted from the depths of the community, and countless gangs arose. Different genres of music were also emerging. Old perspectives were being replaced with controversial ideas; a lot was about to change.
Rock and’ roll has been credited with the birth of the so called generation gap, the difference in values and attitudes between one generation and another, especially between young people and their parents. It might have broken the last few vestiges of the traditional boundaries of the family, but it was not the instigator of the break itself. What started this shift were the decades following the end of World War II.
In J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, the main character Holden Caufield believes that innocence is corrupted by society. He exposes his self-inflicted emotional struggles as he is reminiscing the past. For Holden, teenage adolescence is a complicated time for him, his teenage mentality in allows him to transition from the teenage era to the reality of an adult in the real world. As he is struggling to find his own meaning of life, he cares less about others and worries about how he can be a hero not only to himself but also to the innocent youth. As Holden is grasping the idea of growing up, he sets his priorities of where he belongs and how to establish it. As he talks about how ‘phony’ the outside world is, he has specific recollections that signify importance to his life and he uses these time and time again because these memories are ones that he wont ever let go of. The death of his younger brother Allie has had a major impact on him emotionally and mentally. The freedom of the ducks in Central Park symbolize his ‘get away’ from reality into his own world. His ideology of letting kids grow up and breaking the chain loose to discover for themselves portrays the carrousel and the gold ring. These are three major moments that will be explored to understand the life of Holden Caufield and his significant personal encounters as he transitions from adolescence into manhood.
According to Steinberg (2014) adolescents is a time of growing up, of moving from the immaturity of childhood into the maturity of adulthood, of preparation for the future. It is a period of transitions: biological, psychological, and social. Adolescence can begin as early as ten years of age and not end until the adolescent is in their early twenties. It is important to note that adolescent development occurs at different times for each individual. Therefore, students in the same grade that are around the same age may be going through different developmental stages of adolescents. The purpose of this analysis paper is to discuss the different stages of adolescent development, how they affect the maturity of the students and to determine
1950’s culture revolved around predetermined roles in society that caused numerous issues, both within an individual and within the society. The stringent society caused teenagers and parents to act a certain way, and if they did not, they were viewed with suspicion. Conforming to the society was challenging for many, and if one did not conform, he or she would be face mental issues or societal issues. In Rebel Without a Cause, Nicholas Ray depicted the culture of the 1950’s by showing the type of dating, juvenile delinquency, and parenting that took place during those times and showed its effect on not only that decade, but how it would shape the future years.
The ‘60s were the age of youth, as millions of children’s from post World War II became teenagers and rebelled against the conservative fifties. Denying civil rights to African-Americans and liberation to teenagers in previous decades and Vietnam War, created a vortexes which lead to massive rebellion against the status qua. Music of the 1960s was characteristic of the revolution that was going on during the decade. It was a time of rebellion and counter-culture in which the teenagers and college students were critical of government, business, religious institution and other various aspects of life. Era marked by civil rights movement, Vietnam War, environment of drug abuse and sexual freedom formed new music like: folk rock, soul and psychedelic rock. These genres starkly contrast the teen idol music of ‘50s pop mainstream. Writes John Covach; “World was exploding, and rock musicians were listening more closely than ever.”(Covach, 152) Such stark contrast in pop music directly relay to changing social culture in America, which further echo’s the relationship between music and culture.
One of the first thing a freshman hears or thinks about when going to college is the legendary “freshman fifteen.” The freshman fifteen is defined as a fifteen pound average weight gain that happens during a student’s first year in college. This problem has affected many freshmen because it causes them to fear that they are going to gain weight when they go off to college, but the undetected truth of this case is that a lot of freshmen lose or gain under fifteen pounds. To solve this ongoing problem, colleges and universities should incorporate more healthy food items on campus, provide student cooking, and create fitness and wellness housing.
Some two hundred years ago, during the Industrial Revolution, it was not uncommon to see children as young as four years old working in dangerous factories. Of course, we've come a long way from those irresponsible practices, but now researchers and child psychologists are proposing we move even further away from that. They claim that the new age for the end adolescence should be 25 years old and call for social change because the brain is not fully developed at the current adult age of 18. Instead, raising the end of adolescence to the age 25 will have serious economic and social repercussions because it not only promotes an unmotivated attitude in young adults but, it also disables them from being independent.
Adolescent DevelopmentHave you ever wondered why people act the way they do, or have the interests that they do? Have you ever wondered how or why someone, maybe even yourself, has picked the career choice or life path? Have you ever been in a situation where you have said to yourself, “Wow what I just said sounds exactly like my mom or dad.”? There are many theories as to why you might have these questions or experiences, and most have to do with the process of growing up, or adolescent development. Some of the theories that will be explored throughout this piece will be nature/nurture, continuous/discontinuous development, and early/late experience and the interplay between them that occurs during this process. Nature vs. NurtureThe question
Bauman, Lawrence. The Ten Most Troublesome Teen-age Problems and How to Solve Them. New York: Citadel Press, 1997.