Table of Contents
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction xv
Timeline of Events xxiii
Glossary xxix
1 Domestic Life 1
Children 2
Teenagers 8
Adulthood 13
Relationships with Men 19
Marriage 24
Family 30
Sexuality 36
Rites of Passage 41
2 Economic Life 49
Advertising 52
Consumerism 58
Race 66
Rural Life 74
Suburban Life 80
Urban Life 87
3 Intellectual Life 95
Communication 98
Education 104
Health and Healthcare 110
Literature 116
Medical Advances 123
News Media 128
Popular Culture 131
Science 138
4 Material Life 145
Automobiles 148
Clothing 154
Food and Drink 161
Housing 167
Possessions 173
5 Political Life 181
Government and Law 183
Politics 188
6 Recreational Life 197
Exercise and Sports 200
Movies 208
Music 215
Television 221
Theater and Dance 229
Visual Arts 236
7 Religious Life 247
Female Presence in Religion 249
Religion and Secular Life 253
Appendix A Books Cited in Literature Section (Chapter 3) 263
Appendix B Bestselling Books of the 1950s 265
Appendix C Award Winners of the 1950s 269
Appendix D Most Popular Entertainment of the 1950s 271
Bibliography 273
Index 283