Wednesday, March 3, 2010
1950s
The 1950s is traditionally known as a time of conformity. What do you think is the root for this tendency?
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Discussion
Discussion Blog: I've created this blog to supplement class discussion. Questions will be posted at random and often coinciding with discussion questions from class.
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Comments: Should be at least 6 lines in length, thoughtful, relevant, polite, politically correct, clean, and feature analysis and evidence. They should also address at least one other person's comment on the question (unless of course you are the first to comment!)
Points: Each time you make a comment to any question on this blog you will get 1 speaking point added to your discussion grade (for all you modest mice).
Comments: Should be at least 6 lines in length, thoughtful, relevant, polite, politically correct, clean, and feature analysis and evidence. They should also address at least one other person's comment on the question (unless of course you are the first to comment!)
I think the root for this tendency to label the 1950s as a time of conformity is from trying to stop the Soviets from spreading communism, and the paranoia caused by it. America was under an era of prosperity and thought themselves superior to the rest of the world. They want to achieve security, especially of democracy within Europe.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Catherine said, meaning that the American's tendency to act conformist was brought about by them being paranoid about the spread of communism. This was caused by them wanting to maintain a "typical American society", causing most people in the 1950's to follow a similar treend of conformity as not to encourage communist ideas.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Cory and Catherine that the Americans were conformists during this era because of their fear of the spead of communism. There were many Cold War incidents during the '50s, such as Sputnik, a berlin crisis, and the u-2 incident. The media grew greatly during this time, and it advocated conformity. If people talked or acted differently, than they were suspected of being Communist, which is similar to the Salem Witch Trials of the late 1600s. In "Corporate America", many people were willing to conform so that they could live a affluent life; they could own cars and television and a nice house in the suburbs.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both Priyanka and Catherine. I would rather have lived during the 50's due to social and economical statuses. During the 50's there was much civil rights acts and freedom, and during the 20's there were too many domestic problems. For ex. the KKK. As for the economy, the 50's had a more stable money system, unike the 20's were a few years later there was a Great Depression like Priyanka mentioned.
ReplyDelete-Edgar Paez
I agree with both Priyanka and Catherine. I would rather have lived during the 50's due to social and economical statuses. During the 50's there was much civil rights acts and freedom, and during the 20's there were too many domestic problems. For ex. the KKK. As for the economy, the 50's had a more stable money system, unike the 20's were a few years later there was a Great Depression like Priyanka mentioned.
ReplyDelete-Edgar Paez
oh oops, sorry but i guess that last post of mine got posted here twice (here and the 20's or 50's) but i can respond to this one as well
ReplyDelete--- I agree with all of them, people were forced (somewhat) to be conformists because of foreign problems like communism. Everybody had to be like everybody else, and like Priyanka said, people were accused of being a communist if they acted any different. Not only problems like that influenced it, but also civil rights problems as well. Women and blacks were trying to fit into society as well. But overall, everybody was trying to follow the American way of life.
-Edgar Paez
Dang Edgar, what's wrong with you?
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone here. The root of the conformity came from the emergence of communist superpower and their influence and powers. They came together to stop the spread of communism. Usually during a time of crisis, there is conformity, such as 9/11, where they all came to fear terror. Even if some didn't want to conform with the masses, they had to, because they might have been suspected to be an outcast, maybe a communist.
I agree with the rest, the root of conformity came from the threat of communism. Americans began to fear the influences of communism. People had to live the American lifestyle of they would have been suspected to be communist. They became paranoid because of communist influences with the US.
ReplyDelete-Sagar Patel
I agree with cathrine because of the whole communism issue during that time. I think that we were a conformist nation in that we tried to conform the world to think the way we did. we were persuing the spread of demoracy and giving money to nations just for that purpose and going to war with communist countries because we thought it was wrong and we wanted to contain that idea.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Catherine. People all had the same concerns at this time when it came to communism. You had to conform to be safe from false accusations. Americans wanted everything to settle back to normal after the war. However, I also think this statement is a little misleading. While people were conforming during this time, there were a lot of people trying to reform instead. They wanted peace and equality, especially with African Americans. So while the decade seems to be a time of conformity as a whole, it was marked with times of rebellion.
ReplyDelete-Caroline Worthy
i agree with just about everybody. The 1950s was a time of conformity. the americans feared that communism would spread. so they felt conformity was the best way to stop the Soviets from changing the eastern countries into communist countries. but within the USA the country conformed on different values and beliefs. so conformity was working its way from outside in.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely agree that trying to end Communism played a large part in the reason for conformity.Because Americans were trying so hard not too appear different in fear of being accused of communist, I think that a lot of them just resorted too acting the same. I also think that backlash from the 1920's had to deal with it. Because the rebellion of the 1920's came after World War I, I think that people took a different approach to the 1950's because it followed World War II and this was in order to ensure domestic and economic stability.
ReplyDelete