cultural conformity and challenge

Question 1

why had society become an age of conformists?

Answer 1

• economic hardship suffered in 30’s. people wanted stability
• growth of suburbs, uniformity, a common way of living
• coroporate culture; the organisation man
• tensions of the cold war; they responded by calls for national unity
• TV and Ads promoted social conformity.

Question 2

what was the Beat generation?

Answer 2

• came from young middle aged men
• began with a few columbian students
• estimated n.o of followers was around several thousand
• “beat” came from an underground slang word used to mean “beaten down druggie”

Question 3

who were the four key figures of the movement?

Answer 3

Jack Kerouac
William S. Burroughs
Allen Ginsberg
Neal Cassidy

Question 4

what were the key ideas of the movement?

Answer 4

• rejection of materialism
• spiritual and sexual liberation for oppressed minorities e.g. gays
• freedom of speech
• non-conformity

Question 5

what did Irving Howe say about the period of Eisenhower’s presidency?

Answer 5

“age of conformity”

Question 6

how much did salaried middle-class workers increase by during 1947-1957?

Answer 6

61%

this was fuelled by an explosive growth in large corporations that needed specialised employee’s

Question 7

what book was written that was critical of the men who worked in the big corporations?

Answer 7

“the organisation man” 1956 by William Whyte which sold two million copies

Question 8

what did Whyte argue in his book the “organisation man”?

Answer 8

• suburban life promoted “getting along “ and belonging
• corporate enterprises such as general motors had created a managerial personality
• that the organisational man allowed themselves to be subordinated to big corporations.

Question 9

what did William Whyte suggest the pressure to conform came from?

Answer 9

• many post-war high schools had course on social acceptable behaviour

Question 10

how many homes had televisions in 1960?

Answer 10

• 90% of Americans

Question 11

what did polls reveal about TV? 60’s?

Answer 11

• 1960 = TV was the favourite leisure activity of more than 50% of Americans.

Question 12

how did television promote conformity? examples

Answer 12

• 1950 family sitcoms
• e.g. “father knows best” 1954 and the “adventures of Ozzie and Harriett” 1952 portrayed the domestic bliss of white middle-class suburban families.

Question 13

how did television promote consumerism?

Answer 13

• non-stop adverts and in programmes

- e.g. “i remember mama” 1949 young family members taught their immigrants parents that consumerism was good.

Question 14

what did TV do to educational test scores and ready habbits?

Answer 14

• declined
• newspapers sales dropped in favour of TV
• and Life magazine eventually ceased publication.

Question 15

what was the main reason that critics though TV caused conformity?

Answer 15

• they were designed for maximum mass appeal

Question 16

what was an example of TV only representing popular views?

Answer 16

• “Nat King Cole show” 1956 which was hostel by a Black American who’s show was show was soon dropped due to popular white racism.

Question 17

how did some people disagree with what critics said about TV?

Answer 17

• said it was a cheap form of entertainment that could be watched by the whole family
• rejected the idea that it created conformity as viewers werent “passive recipients”

Question 18

examples of TV that challenged conformity?

Answer 18

• Martin Luther King’s fist televised interview 1957 on “the open mind”
• he presented his ideas about the new negro

Question 19

what did Film also do similar to tv during the 50’s?

Answer 19

• promote conformity abd reflected conservatism and values

e. g. submissive women and evil indians.

Question 20

how did Hollywood begin to change its treatment of “sex” in films?

Answer 20

• sex sold

- “baby doll” 1956 which contains sexual scenes

Question 21

when did the supreme court grant freedom of expression to films?

Answer 21

1952

Question 22

when were interacial marriages shown in film?

Answer 22

was forbade until 1956

- 1957 the first interracial movie was shown in Island in the sun

Question 23

example of how Hollywood was more conservative on sec than Broadway?

Answer 23

the movie blue denim (1959) was based on a play about a 15 year old girl who had an abortion, however in the film version she kept the baby and the word “abortion” was never mentioned.

Question 24

what two films reflected challenging racial sterotypes?

Answer 24

• the defiant (1958) about white and black prisoners need to co-operate in order to survive
• Imitation of life (1959) where a black mother is represented as the heroine of the film.

Question 25

what musical almost caused a race riot?

Answer 25

the south pacific 1958 about interracial romances was not well received and almost cause a race riot in Long Island.

Question 26

how did Hollywood/movies challenge female roles and middle class conformity?

Answer 26

- All that heaven allows (1955) widowed women Jane Wyman shocks the country club set when she becomes involved with a bohemian garderner younger than her. - although she rejects middle class materialism they get married, this is significant as it still suggests the womens most important role is to be a wife.

Question 27

what film reflects emerging teenage culture and teen rebels?

Answer 27

"rebel without a cause" 1955 James Dean a young teenager struggling with the adult world - however he eventually recognises his fathers authority and support.

Question 28

how much did advertising increase to during the 50's/60's

Answer 28

$5.7 billion - 1950's | $11.9 billion - 60's

Question 29

what did Yale historian David Potter argue about advertising?

Answer 29

- that it was as influential as education and religion because it dominated in the media and shaped standards and acted as a means of social control. - 1954

Question 30

example of how advertisements increased sales of products?

Answer 30

- Marlboro cigarettes were considered feminine until advertising associated them with the wild west cowboy masculinity and sales rocketed.

Question 31

how did 30 year old Ginsburg gain fame?

Answer 31

1956 published "howl" a poem written under the influence of drugs which dealt with issues such as drug, homosexuality and non-conformity. wha

Question 32

what book was published by Jack Kerouac?

Answer 32

on the road 1957 - he wrote whilst under the influence Marijuana - however when it was published much of the description on drug taking and homosexual practice was taken out

Question 33

what is estimated about the number of "beats"?

Answer 33

- 150 writers | - other supporters vary from several hundred to several thousand.

Question 34

when did the media and public loose interest in the Beats?

Answer 34

- 1960's

Question 35

who was Doctor Timothy Leary?

Answer 35

- Harvard uni lecture who experimented on his students with drugs/

Question 36

when did a superficial movement of the beats occur?

Answer 36

- in colleges - became fashionable for young people to adopt anti-establishment attitudes - from 1958 they were known as the beatniks

Question 37

what did Kerrouac think of the Beatnik's?

Answer 37

- he thought they were pretentious copy cats

Question 38

what music group constituted a more widespread challenge to dominant culture?

Answer 38

- Rock n Roll 1950's | - combined rhythm and blues with country and western.

Question 39

what was music like for kids before the 50's?

Answer 39

- they liked what their parents like such as Frank Sinatra there was no "teenage music"

Question 40

examples of popular rock artists?

Answer 40

- Chuck Berry - Elvis Presely - Little Richard.

Question 41

why was Rock n roll popular amoungst young people?

Answer 41

- added to their sense of group identity - only they could appreciate it - more money to spend on records due to part time jobs and greater allowances from their parents.