USA chapter 5-social change 1960 - 2000 Flashcards
key dates
1950s – Affluent society and consumerism
‐ Rock and Roll
‐ Rebellious youth
‐ Dive‐ins and movie starts e.g. James
Dean
1960s – 90% of American homes had televisions
‐ Student protests
‐ Counterculture and Hippie movement
‐ 1963 Equal Pay Act (Women)
1980s and 90s – The rise of Rap and RnB
‐ The rise of Computer technology and
gaming
‐ More women employed
music
1950s-popularity of rock and roll grew parents disliked elvis’s sexual dancing young americans copied this
1960s-popularity of pritest songs grew bob dylan encouraged the youth to get involved in protests
1970s and 1980s-growth of disco and heavy metal
1990s and 2000s-the growth of rap and RnB
cinema
1950s– The drive‐in cinema became popular with 4,000 across the USA.
1960s – Multiplex cinemas were built in Shopping Malls. The cinema was now a whole day out in one place
1970s and 1980s – The growth of big budget Blockbusters made go to the cinema a must
Jaws (1975) broke cinematic records. Jaws made the most money in cinematic history… That was until Star Wars broke it two years later
1990s – VCRs now meant Americans could watch films in the comfort of their homes
* 1997 – DVDs gave sharper resolution and better quality
television
1950s – Americans loved wholesome shows
1960s to 2000 – Increased popularity of Soap Operas e.g. Dallas and Dynasty
1970s to 2000 ‐ Increased popularity of Chat Shows e.g. The Oprah Winfrey Show
technology
1980s and 1990s – Rivalry between Apple and Microsoft led to competition
1991 – The first user friendly interface to the internet
1970s – First commercially available computer gaming
1980s – A growth in video arcades to play a variety of games
1990s and 2000s – Personal games consoles e.g. Sony PlayStation in 2001 now meant gaming could be enjoyed at home or on the go
Literature
1950s saw the rise of ‘The Great American novel’ which challenged certain views in American society
The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger (1951) focused on the idea of teenage rebellion
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee (1960) focused on racism and rape
The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan (1963) challenged traditional women’s roles
The Rebellious 1950s
First generation to live in fear of nuclear war. They therefore had a live for ‘today’ attitude With society becoming more affluent parents gave teenagers more pocket money. This meant consumer goods
were made specifically targeting a young market
The Counterculture of the 1960s
Rejected parent’s lifestyle and values.They dropped out of school & didn’t work. Instead they toured the USA in Campervans Alternative lifestyle and clothing. They grew long hair, wore jeans, T‐shirt and flowers as symbols of peace. Introduction of Contraceptive Pill led to greater sexual freedom and ideas of ‘free love’ They experimented with drugs e.g. Marijuana and LSD They were against the Vietnam war. One Hippy slogan was ‘Make love not war!’
Student Protests 1960s
Protest singers inspired the youth to reject their parent’s values e.g. Bob Dylan and Jimmy Hendrix Students were inspired by Martin Luther King’s speeches and were appalled by racism in society
They were actively involved in the Civil Rights Protests e.g. Freedom Rides, Sit‐ins, marches It was new for teenagers, especially the middle‐class, to speak out against the Government and their parents
The changing role of women
1950s – Adverts and the Media idealised women as ‘perfect’ housewives.
1960s – Betty Friedan’s book The Feminine Mystique (1963) encouraged women to reject life as housewife There was still unequal pay: women still paid 50‐60% less than men Feminism grew as women were frustrated with the lack of progress since WW2 Equal Pay Act in 1963 required men and women to get equal wages This frustration also led to the formation of the National Organisation for Women (NOW) in 1966
By 1990 – More women were employed and 70% of women of a working age had a job However, the Equal Pay Act was not always followed by 1998 women still earnt 75% of men’s wages
