Teenage Dating in the 1950s Essay -- Relationships

Teenage Dating in the 1950s Teenagers in the 1950's are so iconic that, for some, they represent the last generation of innocence before it is "lost" in the sixties. When asked to imagine this lost group, images of bobbysoxers, letterman jackets, malt shops and sock hops come instantly to mind. Images like these are so classic, they, for a number of people, are "as American as apple pie." They are produced and perpetuated by the media, through films like Grease and Pleasantville and television shows like Happy Days, The Donna Reed Show, and Leave It to Beaver. Because of these entertainment forums, these images will continue to be a pop cultural symbol of the 1950's. After the second World War, teenagers became much more noticeable in America (Bailey 47). Their presence and existence became readily more apparent because they were granted more freedom than previous generations ever were. Teenagers like these were unique. They were given a chance to redefine the ways things were done in America. One of the conventions they put a new spin on, and consequently revolutionize, is the idea and practice of dating. The 1950's set up precedents in dating that led to what many consider "normal" dating today. ORIGINS OF DATING Dating is definitely an "American phenomenon." Few other countries carry on this practice with as much fervor as Americans do. Then again, few other countries have the same social conditions as America. Since the turn of the century, there has been a greater freedom between men and women, for example, both attend the same schools with the same classes. Both sexes become accustomed to the other at early ages which is very conducive to the practice of dating (Merrill 61). Dating essentially replaced the pra... ...isible. They drove cars and had money to spend. They were a new source of power, independent from their parents and ready for a change. Works Cited Bailey, Beth. From Front Porch to Back Seat. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University, 1988. "Cross Country Report on Teens." Seventeen Sept. 1959: 134-135. "Do I have the right to love?" Seventeen May 1959: 136. Gould, Sandra. Always Say Maybe. New York: Golden Press, 1960. "How Much Do Boys Spend on Girls?" Seventeen June 1959: 75, 121. McGinnis, Tom. A Girl's Guide to Dating and Going Steady. New York: Doubleday, 1968. Merrill, Frances E. Courtship and Marriage. New York: William Sloane, 1949. Sadler, William. Courtship and Love. New York: Macmillan, 1952. Smith, Ken. Mental Hygiene: Classroom Films 1945-1970. New York: Blast Books, 1999. "The Art of Pursuit." Seventeen Feb. 1959: 72-73, 131.