Youth culture (1945-75) Flashcards
1
Q
what caused the baby boom after ww2?
A
- better wages and no military responsibility
- more suburbans houses (modern Levitt)
more marriages after war meant more kids (Protestantism) - economy ic boom meant people could afford to have kids
2
Q
how many kids were born between 1945 and 1964?
A
70 million babies
3
Q
what did having a disposable income mean for kids?
A
- they didn’t have to get jobs as soon as they were old enough
- their parents could give them pocket money and send them to college
4
Q
how many people watched “I love Lucy” - and what was it about?
A
- 50 million
- Lucille Ball broke passive female stereotype by eating and starring in the comedy
5
Q
how many tv’s were there I 1947 and 1955?
A
60k and 37 million
6
Q
how much did cinema attendance fall by, due to TV’s?
A
from 90 million in 1946 to 47 million in 1956
7
Q
What was “leave it to beaver”?
A
- a TV show about a nuclear family where parents are always rights and life outside the family is uncertain
- made in response to fears of young people going off the rails)
8
Q
what was the 1950’s and 60’s rock and roll movement?
A
- influenced fashion, sex, dancing, language
- decade of teen rebellion
- Elvis wore tight jeans and had suggestive dances
- James deans “rebel without a cause” inspired teen rebellion
9
Q
was race an issue within the rock and roll movement?
A
- black artists like little Richard began the movement - however it was white artists like Elvis that made it popular
- elders worried it would cause desegregation
10
Q
what was the 1960’s and 70’s hippie movement?
A
- involved in birth control, bantam, feminism, gay rights, civil rights
- baby boom meant they had mainstream impact
- dropped out of school, great hair, took drugs
- protested Vietnam by holding rallies and refusing conscription
- 1969 Woodstock festival seen as height of movement
11
Q
how much of the population was under 24 by 1950?
A
41%
12
Q
what was teenage market worth by 1955?
A
10 billion
