The Development Of The USA (1929-2000) - Social Changes 1950-2000 Flashcards

1
Q

What were the four main areas of change?

A

Television/ film
Music
Technology
Literature
“Ever changing youth culture”

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2
Q

Who were Beatniks?

A

Teenagers who didn’t follow the convention of their peers. Drop outs

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3
Q

What was the most important element of teenagers?

A

Own identity

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4
Q

What changed the attitudes of teenagers?

A

More spending money - $10 a week - consumerism targeted at teenagers
Fear of nuclear war - “Enjoy today”
Influence of films and music

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5
Q

Who were hippies?

A

Grew long hair, wore distinctive clothes and developed an alternative lifestyle
Travelled around the country in buses and vans
Wore flowers in their hair as a symbol of freedom
Make love not war
Refused to work
Handed flowers to police
Experimented in drugs such as LSD
Middle class

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6
Q

What were the swinging sixties?

A

Emerging protest singers, such as Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix
Beach Boys
Young distanced form older generations
Young demanded greater freedom in clothes, music and social life

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7
Q

What was the role of universities in student protest?

A

1960s - rise in student protests for civil rights in NI
Students wanted a greater say in education
End college rules/ restrictions
Students for a Democratic Society - set up in 1959, 100,000 members by 1960 - key role in protest movement

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8
Q

What was King’s role in Student protests?

A

First experience of protest in civil rights
1964 - student marches and rallies for civil rights
White students supporters sit ins and freedom rides and marches

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9
Q

What was the role of the Vietnamese War in student protests?

A

1968 - 14,000 casualties - protest grew
1969 - 70,000 marched on Washington and burned draft cards
Anti-war reached peak in 1968-1970
1968 - 400,000 students protested
Students called up to fight
Questioned US involvement and use of napalm
4 May 1970 - Kentucky State University - 4 killed and 2 million striked

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10
Q

In the 1950s, who were popular artists and songs?

A

Elvis Presley with Hound Hog and Heartbreak Hotel

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11
Q

What type of music was popular in the 1950s and who did it influence?

A

Rock and roll
Gave teenagers their own music to listen to
The more parents disliked new music, the more propulsar it became with teenagers
Elvis was successful among teenagers
Parents and teachers didn’t like his sensual style of performing, tight jeans or his permanent sheer
He influenced the young in their attitude to authority and appearance

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12
Q

What artists were propulsar in the 1960s?

A

The Beatles
Rolling Stones
The Beach Boys
Bob Dylan

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13
Q

What type of music was popular in the 1960s and who did it influence?

A

British groups took the USA by storm
Protest songs
Hard rock
The Beach Boys gained popularity for their close vocal harmonies and lyrics
They reflected a South Californian youth culture of cars, romance and surfing
Shocked middle class white parents over their teenagers lack of respect for law and their anger
Encouraged teenage crime

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14
Q

Who were popular artists in the 1970s onwards?

A

The Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Led Zeppelin, Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Jay-Z

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15
Q

Why was Disco popular from the 1970s?

A

Reaction to the domination of rock music.
Particularly popular with women and teenagers hanging out
Dance moves
E.g Donna Summer/ the Bee Gees

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16
Q

Why was Heavy metal popular from the 1970s?

A

Characterised by amplifier distortion and long guitar solos associated with aggression and masculinity
E.g Led Zeppelin

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17
Q

Why were influential solo artists popular from the 1970s?

A

Bruce Springsteen was popular because his music focussed on the struggles of ordinary people such as the working classes
Whitney Houston’s

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18
Q

Why were rap and hip hop popular from the 1970s?

A

Developed from disco music, product of high unemployment among young black Americans
About inner city problems
Popular with white people as well
Talked about ghettos and police
E.g Will Smith/ Jay-Z

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19
Q

What were the changes in cinema?

A

Drive ins first opened in the 1930s, became popular in the 1950s. Approx 4,000 across USA
Multiplexes first opened in 1963 - more than 3 screens for viewing

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20
Q

What was the reaction to drive ins and multiplexes?

A

Families could watch a movie and take care of their children at the same time
Teenagers with cars used drive ins for dates
Gained a reputation of being immoral and labelled passion pits by the media
Multiplexes increased accessibility to watch a movie - demonstrates popularity

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21
Q

What were developments of the anti-hero?

A

E.g Marilyn Munroe
Rise of anti-heroes came about in the late 1940s/ early 1950s

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22
Q

What was the reaction to anti-heroes such as Ava Gardner/ Kim Novak/ James Dean/ Paul Newman?

A

New and exciting symbols of rebellion
Lack of traditional heroic qualities such as idealism and courage
Response to audience demand

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23
Q

What were changed in Blockbusters?

A

1970s
Jaws (1975)
Indiana Jones - Steven Spielberg
Star Wars (1977) / ET (1982) - George Lucas
High-profile actors or producers

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24
Q

What was the reaction to blockbusters?

A

Films with international audiences had special effects technology, soundtracks, high-paid stars
VCR encouraged film hire and home viewing

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25
Q

What were changes to film in the 1990s?

A

Actors paid more e.g Tom Cruise/ Harrison Ford/ Mel Gibson/ Julia Roberts

26
Q

What was the reaction to cinema in the 1990s?

A

Cinema attendance increased
In 1991, 3/4 homes had a VCR - rentals and purchase on video tapes were more popular than cinema tickets
1997 - DVDs were better quality with special effects
E.g Jurassic Park in 1993 or Star Wars in 1999

27
Q

What were the changes in TV?

A

By the 1970s, 96% of households had a TV
Average household watched TV for 6 hours a day
1980s - subscription TV becomes popular

28
Q

What was the reaction to Westerns?

A

E.g Lone Ranger
Idealised image of the American West in the Nineteenth century
Cowboys as heroes
1969s

29
Q

What was the reaction to comedies in the 1960s?

A

E.g I love Lucy
E.g Cosby Show/ Fresh Prince (1980s/1990s)
Celebrated traditional American values
Romanticised view of middle class suburban life came to be accepted as normal
Racial and religious minorities were not represented

30
Q

What were examples of Soap operas?

A

Popular in 1960s
Dallas
Days of our lives

31
Q

What were examples of chat shows in the 1990s?

A

The Oprah Winfrey Show
Jerry Springer
Included interviews and self improvement

32
Q

What were developments of PCs that transformed US society?

A

Apple/ Microsoft
Bill Gates set up Microsoft in 1975
Microsoft Windows was released in 1985
They became the dominant company in the development of computer electronics, software and personal computers
Apple was set up by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1976
Macintosh Computer
1990s massive growth in sales of PCs

33
Q

What was the development of the internet?

A

In 1991, the first user-friendly interface to the internet was developed in Minnesota
In 1991, Delphi first offered internet access to subscribers
In 1998, Windows 98 was released and Microsoft browser was integrated into the desktop
Drastic impact on culture and commerce
More time spent social networking
Rise of email

34
Q

What was the development of gaming?

A

Computer space was first in 1971
Massive growth in computer games
1980 - Nintendo introduce first game console
Sony PlayStation and Sega MegaDrive and Xbox
Significant pastime
Social time taken up
Increasing concern for an abandoned active lifestyle

35
Q

What was the “Great American Novel”?

A

Defined the meaning of being American

36
Q

What were Counter Cultural Literacy Works?

A

Challenging the Traditional Conservatism

37
Q

What were examples of the Great American Novel?

A

To Kill a Mockingbird
The Catcher in the Rye
The Naked and the Dead
Rabbit, Run

38
Q

What were examples of Counter-Cultural Literacy Works?

A

The Feminine Mystique
The Bluest Eye
Naked Lunch
Howl
The Catcher in the Rye

39
Q

What is the Feminine Mystique?

A

Published in 1963, novel by Betty Friedan
Encouraged re-emergence of Women’s Liberation Movement
Challenged traditional role of women in society

40
Q

What is Naked Lunch?

A

Focused on the controversial issue of hard drugs

41
Q

What is the Naked and the Dead?

A

Describes Second World War experiences

42
Q

What is to Kill a Mockingbird?

A

Published in 1960, novel by Harper Lee
Focused on issues of rape and racial inequality

43
Q

What was the role of women before World War Two?

A

Few career opportunities
Traditional roles
Female professions

44
Q

What were considered female professions?

A

Secretary
Kindergarten teacher
Nanny
Waitress

45
Q

How did the position of women improve?

A

Allowed to enter more occupations
18.5 million employed by 1945

46
Q

What is evidence that the position of women did not improve?

A

Returned to normal after war

47
Q

What was the role of women in the 1950s?

A

Media influenced women to continue their traditional role
Women who worked were a cause of suspicion
More middle class women began to challenge this role

48
Q

How did women challenge their traditional role as a housewife in the 1950s?

A

Education - number of women attending university doubled in the 1950s
Contraceptive pill
Labour saving devices allowed them to have part time jobs

49
Q

Why did Eleanor Roosevelt campaign?

A

Women did not have equal status to men at work

50
Q

What did Eleanor Roosevelt do?

A

Set up a commission to investigate the status of women at work and spread awareness. Published a report in 1963.

51
Q

What did Eleanor Roosevelt’s report reveal?

A

95% of managers and 85% of technical workers were men
Only 7% of doctors and 4% of lawyers were women

52
Q

Why did Betty Friedan campaign?

A

Women’s role in society was to be a wife and a mother

53
Q

What did Betty Friedan do?

A

Set up NOW
Encouraged women to reject household expectations and to progress in employment opportunities
Wrote Feminine Mystique which expressed the thoughts of women. Life was more than just being a mother

54
Q

Why was NOW set up?

A

Women had reduced wages compared to men and faced discrimination in the workplace

55
Q

Who was NOW made up of?

A

40,000 mainly middle class white female members by 1970

56
Q

What did NOW do?

A

Challenged discrimination in courts and secured $30 million in back pay between 1966 and 1971

57
Q

How long did the Women’s Liberation Movement span?

A

3 decades

58
Q

Who were the Women’s Liberation Movement?

A

More radical than NOW
Feminists
Burned bras to reject male domination
Very active in wanting nothing to do with men
Did more harm than good - distraction

59
Q

What was a key change in 1963?

A

Equal Pay Act - employers must pay men and women equal for the same job

60
Q

What key change happened in 1994?

A

Gender Equity in Education Act - train teachers in gender equality
Promote girls in maths and science
Counsel pregnant teens
Prevent sexual harassment