The 1950s

by William H. Young

Overview

Have the 1950s been overly romanticized? Beneath the calm, conformist exterior, new ideas and attitudes were percolating. This was the decade of McCarthyism, Levittowns, and men in gray flannel suits, but the 1950s also saw bold architectural styles, the rise of paperback novels and the Beat writers, Cinema Scope and film noir, television variety shows, the Golden Age of the automobile, subliminal advertising, fast food, Frisbees, and silly putty. Meanwhile, teens attained a more prominent role in American culture with hot rods, rock 'n' roll, preppies and greasers, and—gasp—juvenile delinquency. At the same time, a new technological threat, the atom bomb, lurked beneath the surface of the postwar decade. This volume presents a nuanced look at a surprisingly complex time in American popular culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313361609
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	04/30/2004
Series:	American Popular Culture Through History Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	376
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

WILLIAM H. YOUNG is a freelance writer and independent scholar. He has recently retired from teaching English, American Studies, and popular culture at Lynchburg College in Virginia for 36 years. Young has published books and articles on various subjects of popular culture.

NANCY K. YOUNG is an adjunct professor for the Counselor Education Program in the School of Education and Human Development at Lynchburg College.

Table of Contents

Series Foreword by Ray B. Browne
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Timeline of the 1950s
Life and Youth During the 1950s
Everyday America
World of Youth
Popular Culture of the 1950s
Advertising
Architecture and Design
Fashion
Food and Drink
Leisure Activities
Literature
Music
Performing Arts
Travel and Recreation
Visual Arts
Cost of Products in the 1950s
Notes
Further Reading
Index