Don’t get lost in dullsville…..dig this warm-up!

• Grab a worksheet at the front of the room!

• Independently, answer the two “warm-up questions”

• Don’t wig out or be a drag, it’s not hairy

• Be ready to discuss!

• This is going to be a swell and far-out kind of day!

Post-WWII Changes• Baby Boom:

dramatic increase in the birth rate after WWII.

• GI Bill of Rights: 1944 law that helped veterans buy homes and pay for education.

SUBURBS• Growing families

left the cities and moved into the suburbs that outlined urban areas.

• Developers like William J. Levitt catered to the huge demand for housing.

HIGHWAYS

• As suburbs were growing, people began to rely more on automobiles for transportation.

• The growth in the car industry created a need for better roads.

• The 1956 Federal-Aid Highway Act provided $25 billion to build an interstate highway system.

Television• Pre-WWII, American

citizens got entertainment from the radio.

• Only 7% had a T.V.• Post-WWII,

entertainment shifted to include the television.

• By the 1960’s, 91% of all households owned the tube.

CONFORMITY• “The Silent Generation:” youth in the

1950s who seemed to have no interest in the larger world.

Conformity - Teenagers• Young people chose to stay in school rather than have jobs.

Conformity - Teenagers• With new opportunities for advertising,

businesses sold products to the youth by building the image of a “perfect teenager.”

Conformity - Teenagers

Conformity - Teenagers

Conformity - Teenagers

Conformity - Children

Role’s In Society - Men• Men were expected to go to school, find jobs,

and support their families.

• Made important political, economic, and social decisions.

Role in Society - Women

• Women were expected to support their husbands, manage their house, cook meals, and raise children.

• Took the role of a domesticated, suburban housewife.

Conformity - Religion• Renewed interest in religion – In 1950, 95% of

all Americans belonged to a church.

• In 1954, Congress added the words “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance.

• In 1955, Congress added the phrase “In God We Trust” to all American currency.

Challenges to Conformity – Women at Work

• Women were supposed to leave their jobs once they were married.

• Not all women conformed and by 1960, 31% of all married women had jobs.

• Most women were secretaries, teachers, nurses, or sales clerks.

Challenges to Conformity – Youthful Rebellions

•Some youth rejected the values of their parents and felt misunderstood and alone.

Youthful Rebellions• They wanted a style to call their own,

and they found it in rock-and-roll.

Youthful Rebellions

• Beatniks: group of people who promoted spontaneity and spirituality.

• Wanted to release society from the world of money and property.

• Challenged traditions with their open sexuality and use of illegal drugs.

Jack Kerouac• Kerouac was an author and “father” of

the Beat Generation.• Published his best selling novel On the

Road Again in 1957.• This was an autobiographical work

based on spontaneous road trips across the country and inspired by jazz, poetry, and drug experiences.

1950 fads

Other 1950 fads

Closure• Turn to your neighbor and explain to

them:• What were men and women’s “proper

roles” in 1950’s society?• How did youth rebel in the 1950s? What

new style emerged as a result of their rebellion?

• What are beatniks? How did their views challenge society’s norms?

“Little boxes” by Malvina Reynolds• Little boxes on the hillside,

Little boxes made of ticky-tacky,Little boxes, on the hillside,Little boxes, all the same.There's a green one and a pink oneAnd a blue one and a yellow oneAnd they're all made out of ticky-tackyAnd they all look just the same.

• And the people in the housesAll went to the university,where they were put in boxes,Little boxes, all the same.And there's doctors and lawyersAnd business executives,And they're all made out of ticky-tackyAnd they all look just the same.

“Little Boxes”• What do the “little boxes” represent?

• What is the overall tone of the song?

• How does this song portray 1950’s suburbs?

• Compare 1950’s suburbs vs. today’s suburbs. How are they similar? How are they different?

“Little boxes” by Malvina Reynolds• Little boxes on the hillside,

Little boxes made of ticky-tacky,Little boxes, on the hillside,Little boxes, all the same.There's a green one and a pink oneAnd a blue one and a yellow oneAnd they're all made out of ticky-tackyAnd they all look just the same.

• And the people in the housesAll went to the university,where they were put in boxes,Little boxes, all the same.And there's doctors and lawyersAnd business executives,And they're all made out of ticky-tackyAnd they all look just the same.

“Little Boxes”• What do the “little boxes” represent?

• What is the overall tone of the song?

• How does this song portray 1950’s suburbs?

• Compare 1950’s suburbs vs. today’s suburbs. How are they similar? How are they different?