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TEEN CULTURE IN U.S. FROM 1950 TO 1990.
Term Paper ID:20075
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Essay Subject:
Describes & compares behavior, parental & social attitudes, drugs, violence, dating & sex, family dynamics.... More...
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7 Pages / 1575 Words
11 sources, 25 Citations,
APA Format
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Paper Abstract:
Describes & compares behavior, parental & social attitudes, drugs, violence, dating & sex, family dynamics.
Paper Introduction:
Studies of adolescents in the 1950s and early 1960s focused on high school teens. Teens were segregated from the adult world and from each other along gender lines. Academic success was not a top priority. Boys were preoccupied with sports and cars; being a leader in school activities and being popular were important for girls. Teens liked to read, listen to music, watch television, go to the movies and hang out with their group. Girls liked dancing, frequently doing so with each other. Dating constituted only 12% of teen leisure time (Coleman, 1961, pp. 12-13, 32).
Parental influence was equal to teen peer influence but an "in" crowd set the standards at school. Being part of this crowd was important; one's personality and reputation determined membership. For a boy, being an athlete, having a car and
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Our Troubled Youth.Vital Speeches, pp. (1967, August 18). 23-24). The teen consumer market has been enlarged to include younger kidswho are constantly encouraging them to - buy the latest. (1981). Choices are rampant but less value is being placed on theirmeaning (Louv, 199 , pp. 3, 13-14). A majority have tried their first drug at thirteen and alcohol attwelve. The woman was to be helpedin this by her husband. Okimoto, Jean Davies & Stegall, Phyllis Jackson. In 196 , 72% of females, 2 -24 years of age,were married (Okimoto, 1987, p. non-married,single, step, homosexual parents and intergenerational families. O'Reilly, Brian. However, beneath the gloss were forces that would undermine thisideal family structure. Onerecent poll reported 3.3 million teen alcoholics and 2.7 million teen drugaddicts. Because today'steens appear to be more sophisticated, they and many adults assume they cancare for themselves (Louv, 199 , pp. The core of Permissiveness is allowing the child to have feelings andwishes but destructive behavior is not permitted; this brings confidenceand a capacity for expression. Teenpregnancy remains at one in six but has shifted to the younger teens. If thisrebellion grows it may give birth to a new pattern and meaning to theuncertainty of the postindustrial, postmodern society. 5, 15). Thishas a negative effect for the next generation since the likelihood ofliving a life of poverty is seven times greater for a teen mother than forother teenagers (Louv, 199 , pp. Rebellion is still expressed through music, fashion and hairstyles. 94-1 4). New York: Harper & Row.----------------------- 9 However, this rebellion has a darker side which is more despairingthan in the earlier period. (1965). (1965) Adolescents and the Schools. 261). The emergent postindustrial economy was drawn tocheap labor, much of it provided by women. It was alsorevealed that women were equal to men in sexual responsiveness. Sports and cars remain important to boys and being populardoes so for girls. The Adolescent idea. A quickening pace of life and a loss of family time is at the core oftoday's anxiety. New York:Basic Books. Coleman, James S. i-xii; 1-42 ). However, by the late 196 's trouble began to appear. This is key because the middle is also a stateof mind; a sense of balance between work and family. Childrearing was influenced by doctor Benjamin Spock who wed Freud to thedoctrine of putting motherhood first. Single parents and stepparents face additional discipline problems.Single parents always have to play the "heavy". Teenagers search for an identity appeared in dress and hair styles(leather jackets and greasy hair). Boston: Little, Brown and Company. Divorced parents, out ofquilt, too often try to make their children happy. Teens liked to read, listen tomusic, watch television, go to the movies and hang out with their group.Girls liked dancing, frequently doing so with each other. New York: J.B. 45-47). Fortune, pp. The difficult part is assisting children to setappropriate goals and allows them to reach these on their own (O'Reilly,199 , pp. Thischanged the image of women and together with the advent of birth controlpills laid the ground work for the sexual revolution of the 196 s (Lewis,1978, pp. There isa fear of falling behind in a competitive, fast paced world; thespecialized knowledge of experts are considered more valuable thanunstructured time with parents. "Post" alsoindicates an uncertainty and insecurity (Stacey, 199 , pp,. Lewis, Peter. 12-13, 32). Smoking, drinking and delinquent behavior were engaged in by a smallminority. The gap between the dominant cultural ideology and therealities of the emerging economic and sexual revolution led to changes infamily life, the effects of which we are witnessing today. A child deprived of its mother'searly constant care might be damaged for life. Married women and mothers werebeing drawn back to work where many had been in the depression 193 s anddefense industry 194 s (Stacey, 199 , p. 3 % to 4 % of parents in counseling have a teen out of control.Many parents make the mistake of wanting to be liked instead of respected.Being lax on rules at home means that kids aren't going to fear theconsequences of their behavior (Buntman, 199 , pp. As a result of thismany teens go unsupervised for many hours of the day. New York: Basic Books. LippincottCompany. 36-37). 149, 152-154). Discipline is to be enforced kindly but firmlywithout extensive discussion (Ginott, 1965, pp. Datingconstituted only 12% of teen leisure time (Coleman, 1961, pp. There isno longer a single culturally dominant family pattern. Today's teens are a reflection of postmodern, postindustial society.The word "post" indicates both an end to familiar ideals and an emergenceof new ones whose meanings and implications are not clear. 121-125. A stepparent and stepchild do not have a history of love and trust;therefore, an attempt to control before this kind of relationship issolidified is viewed as arbitrary domination. NewYork: The Free Press of Glencoe. As a guide Spock put forth the - premise of"Permissiveness". The affluency of the eraprovided a pleasant environment to be young, mildly rebellious and naivelyoptimistic. The teenculture of the 195 s and 196 reflected the culmination of the industrial,capitalist society and its rapid suburbanization. Academic success was not a top priority. One-third of fourth gradershave tried alcohol and marijuana (Buntman, 199 , p. Suicide is thesecond cause of death among teens. Video games andcomputers have been added to dancing, television and movies as majoractivities. Being part of the "in" crowd still has special urgency at thisage. This was a time when hope outweighed cynicism and despair(Lewis, 1978, pp. Today's economic uncertaintythreatens their existing lifestyle; admittance to a prestigious college isseen as a necessity to maintain it (O'Reilly, 199 , p. His purpose was to reassure parents and encourage themto trust their instincts and use commonsense (Lewis, 1978, pp. 57, 7 , 113). 38). A 1986 poll found 4% oftwelve year olds, 1 % of thirteen year olds and 2 % of fourteen year oldshad already engaged in sex; 5 % had by the age of seventeen. (1987).Boomerang Kids. Weekly leisure time shrank from 26.2 hours in1973 to 16.6 hours in 1984. Steinberg, Laurence & Levine, Ann. (1978). Some caused by adultsagainst teens by child abuse. Louv, Richard (199 ). Academic achievement has reached a high degree ofimportance for teens from wealthier families. Additional problems occurwhen the two adults have different parenting styles (Steinberg, 1987, p.61). The work place is more demanding. (1961). Being part of this crowd was important; one'spersonality and reputation determined membership. Menninger, Roy W. (199 ) Winning the Parent-Teenager Conflict Game.Los Alamitos: Center For Family Life Enrichment. For a girl, herreputation with boys, drinking and smoking was crucial (Coleman, 1961, pp.5, 38, 41). Both parent andchild feel isolated and disconnected. (199 , January 1). Spacks, Patricia Meyer. 5 % of teenmarriages failed within five years. 1 ). Books and movies of the time began to depict teen restlessness; adistrust of adults, their values and their conspiracy of silence about sex. Stacey, Judith. Rock and Roll, with its sexual energy, gave them theirvoice. You and YourAdolescent. For a boy, being anathlete, having a car and academic success counted more. clubs, sports, cars, dating. Teen music proclaimed them a new species different from theirpredecessors who just waited to become adults. On the other hand, some parents "overprogram" time, both the timethey spend with their children (so they can pack in as much as possible)and their children's time. 122) Today's adolescents are more segregated from the adult society.Separation between gender is not as pronounced and more studies includeyounger teens. Studies of adolescents in the 195 s and early 196 s focused on highschool teens. There is a pattern of letting teens get away with more than theyshould. Hanging out with one's group is done now at the mall and videoarcade. 6, 12 -123). 47-49). NewYork: Basic Books. Such a situation invitedtrouble and encouraged assertion against those demands (Coleman, 1965, pp.1 -12). (199 ). In today'ssociety there is a diverse range of gender and kinship relationships whichhave produced a multiplicity of family arrangements, i.e. Sexual discontent existed; two-thirds ofmarriages had serious problems at some point due to this. This rate doubled between 1968 and 1987and now stands at 16.2 per 1 , for boys and 4.2 per 1 , for girls(O'Reilly, 199 , 38). Why Grade "A" Executives Getan "F". 56). Without the support ofanother adult they may give into the child (Steinberg, 1987, p. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin (pp. One-third of high school seniors are drunk at least once a weekand one in six has tried cocaine or crack. New York:Macmillan Company. References Buntman, Peter H. The Adolescent Society. By the 195 s the workplace was disassociated from the place of residence; women and childrenwere economically dependent on the earnings of men. 16-17).Today's adolescents are growing up in this diverse, changing and uncertainworld. (199 ). In 1988, the averagework week was 46.8 hours, professional's averaged 52.2 hours and smallbusiness people 57.3 hours. Childhood's future. The Kinsey Reports uncovered widespread sexual misbehavior by bothmen and women; 5 % of the women questioned admitted to premarital sex and25% to extramarital sex. One in six teens had tried marijuana and LSD. Premarital sex was considered immoral; therefore, marriagehappened at an early age. Some is youth against youth in gang violenceon the streets or in schools. In 1967, one insix teen pregnancies was out of wedlock, double that of 194 . The lack of a neighborhood support web forfamilies and children produces an environment in which free and wanderingtime is seen as unproductive and dangerous (Louv, 199 , pp. Coleman, James S. The Fifties. This produceda society more adult than child yet without the responsibilities, a societysubject to demands placed on it by adults. There is a feeling that what makes life worth living hasbeen taken from them or that they have given it up for material objects,exhausting work days and poor child care (Louv, 199 , pp. 36-46. Studies have shown that without this they arevulnerable to drug and alcohol abuse, unwanted pregnancy, anxiety,depression and suicide. Key to this is the decline in theranks of the middle class. There is a sense of rebellion among parents against time pollution.There is a disgust at the tempo and quality of life in the work place andin the family. 11). Brave New Families. The average parent had 17 hours of contactwith children per week, down from 3 hours in 1965. Because this was a time of great prosperity the ideal modern familywas finally able to be indulged in; three-fifths of the families includedthe breadwinner and full-time homemaker (Stacey, 199 , p. The modern familyalong with the neighborhood, schools, churches and social organizationsbacked this philosophy and provided a strong web of support to cope withteen rebellion. This middle is beingreplaced by an expensive, packaged and slide-scale center where images ofthe middle class can be bought for a high price but do not live up to theirlabeling. Overpermissiveness is allowing undesirablebehavior which results in anxiety and increasing demands for privilegesthat can't be given. James Dean was their symbol of youthfulnon-belonging. 1 9-11 ). Parental influence was equal to teen peer influence but an "in" crowdset the standards at school. Teens were segregated from the adult world and from eachother along gender lines. Three in one hundred 1 -17 year-oldswere delinquent. Activities are rigorously scheduled. Much of it is the adolescent's violenceagainst him/her self by abuse of food, alcohol, drugs and suicide. Between Parent and Child. Unfortunately, adults also face this same world. The industrial societyrequired more formal education; thus teens remained in school longer. Teen dating and sex are occurring earlier. Boyswere preoccupied with sports and cars; being a leader in school activitiesand being popular were important for girls. 1 9). What produced the teen cultures of these different periods?Psychologist Erik Erikson contended that adolescent psychological stresswas a reflection of the larger society (Spacks, 1981, p. A commercial market includingmovies, music and clothing developed specifically for teens. Withless of a need for teens in the adult world the school became an allencompassing community; activities developed that were not educational infocus, i.e. 6). 5 % ofcollege kids had experimented with drugs (Menninger, 1967, p. Effective parenting takes time not just to supervise children but tobuild their self-esteem. There is much violence in the teen culture. Ginott, Haim G.
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