EP- investigate teenage culture in the period 1955-63? Flashcards
2 common themes for p1
Both sources comment on rock n roll music as crucial to teen identity and independence.
Both sources indicate that there was a sense of rebellion by teenagers against adults and stereotypical suburban conformity.
How can S3 AND S4 be used together? to understand why rock n roll music was crucial to teen identity and independence (P1.1)
Useful for understanding how the combined genres of music allowed new cultures to emerge as teenagers could exclusively identify with rock n roll as their music.
Useful for a historian to understand how music became part of wider teenage culture, and helped to promote the transition between childhood and adulthood.
How can S3 AND S4 be used together? (P1.2)
Useful for a historian understanding the opposition from conformist adults against their increasingly independent teenagers, which was promoted within the media, as it cultivated a culture of fear surrounding non conformity.
How can S3 AND S4 be used together? (P2.1)
Source 4 predicts the cultural changes occurring in the 1950s for teenagers and Source 3 confirms that this culture shift became part of mainstream society. They offer an insight into the initial fears of rock n roll in the media but the eventual acceptance of it into popular culture, confirmed by music experts.
Despite this, when both sources are used to together (P3)
Although Source 3 mainly focuses on the importance of music in dominating teen culture, Source 4 counteracts this by referring to the other elements that appealed to the teen demographic in 1956-63, including jobs and consumer culture
Therefore this is useful because we learn that teen culture was not restricted to one aspect. Furthermore, Source 4’s limitation of its publication date can be mitigated by the benefit of Source 3 confirming that rock n roll was not a ‘fad’ and in fact a cultural shift. Together, both sources provide the historian with both a contemporary (1956) and nostalgic reaction (1992) to teenage culture, supporting the historian to establish a wholesome picture of the teenage culture legacy.
3 reasons why source 3 is useful (P2)
The Seventh Stream’ published in 1992
Benefit of hindsight to comment on holistic trends in music scene with confidence that rock n roll did materialise into a dominant genre - credible.
Credible author P.H Ennis - entire book dedicated to emergence of rock n roll music. ‘By 1965’ - can effectively categorise rock n roll era using knowledge of motown and soul emerging after 1959.
Purpose to inform - adds credibility
Why is source 4 useful? (P2)
Published in 1956 - reflects contemporary attitudes towards Presley and the rise of the teenager.
Typical view - Newsweek - TIME - confirms that opposition to teenage culture was prevalent at the time.
NY Times - slightly older readership
Jack Gould wrote many articles about Presley as a media reporter
Why is source 3 limited? (P3)
Source 3 is limited by its emphasis and audience as it discusses the dominance of rock n roll in teen culture, however this is not entirely accurate.
Eg. Beats and Beatniks - Jack Kerouac - jazz - Eric Clapton
Other aspects of teen culture accounted for their rebellious nature, not just music.
1992 - It is intended to provide an overview of trends and uses a nostalgic tone. Can it provide an in depth understanding of individual contemporary perspectives from 1956-63?
why is source 4 limited? (P3)
Limited accuracy when referring to rebellion -
Fails to reflect levels of conformity
Consumer society
By 1959 nearly ½ of American brides were under 19
Elvis had elements of gospel music in his songs
Reference to heightened fears over teens and Elvis Presley was due to media hype (NY Times contributed to this) and therefore overinflated the problem, making the historian reconsider some of the source’s credibility.
Fear of Elvis presented in source - only shown from waist up in Hounddog performance on Ed Sullivan Show 1955 - also linked to gospel and religious music, showing conformity also occurred during this period. Therefore suggests that there was a degree of conformity in this period and not all teenagers rebelled.
Jack Gould was heavily critical of Elvis’ talents and naturally has a bias to his article. His wider desires were for TV networks to exercise responsibility in broadcasting as parents were lessening their control
