Cultural conformity and challenge

Suburban conformity: What was “the organization man”? What did it argue? When did conformity begin?

• William H. Whyte: “The Organization Man”:

• Nature of WF changed; new large companies needed marketing teams.

  • 1945-7: # of salaried MC workers rose by 61%

• Whyte argued US had “subordinated themselves to the interests of corporations”- suburbanism threatened individuality

  • Argues pressure to conform began in post-war high schools, where courses on ‘socially acceptable behaviour’ were taught.

How did businesses enforce conformity?

• Gave social tests to ensure conformity; those who failed to conform to white MC values were likely to be ostracized/disadvantaged.

Social change in TV

How did TV impact conformity? What did shows portray? How did advertising play a part? How were viewers affected?

• TV promotes conformity; “Father Knows Best” (1954-60) portrayed domestic bliss in suburbia.

  • Women were also portrayed as housewives; work was undesirable to them.

• TV promoted consumerism- constant adverts.

• TV made viewers inactive/mentally passive- decline in educational scores and reading.

  • Decline in magazine/newspaper sales. Come went bust.

How was TV impacted by its demographic?

• TV designed for mass appeal; has to keep sponsors happy by promoting conformity.

  • White racism made it hard for NBCs “Nat King Cole Show” to retain sponsorship

What were some positives concerning the impact of TV?

• Provided cheap family entertainment

• Helped to develop/define national culture

  • Lowered divisions; gave people access to different cultures.

How did TV challenge conformity?

• News programmes showed white violence endured by BA students at Little Rock; helped to promote social change.

• Documentaries/News channels challenged the status quo

Social change in film:
How did film challenge racial stereotypes?

• “The Defiant Ones” (1958): depicted black and white convicts chained together.

How did film challenge gender roles?

• “All That Heaven Allows” (1955): shows an inter-class relationship and rejects MC conformrity.

  • BUT… women still see being a wife as their primary role.

• Female villains; “Crime of passions”: wife shoots her husband dead BUT gets arrested

  • Shows Hollywood will only go so far in its challenge.

• Hollywood begins to change treatment of sex; “Baby Doll”

In what ways did Hollywood have to conform? What were reactions to socially challenging films like?

• Moviemaking was a business; Hollywood couldn’t alienate viewers.

• South Pacific (1958): shows a interracial couple- not well received in the south.

How did Hollywood depict teen challege?

• “Rebel Without a Cause” (1955):

• James Dean; teenager struggling with adult life so rebels against parents.

  • BUT… eventually recognises his father’s support and authority.

    • Shows sympathy for youth was limited. authority always re-established in the end.

Advertising:

What was advertising like before the period?

• Conformity promoted via advertising

  • 1950s-60s: money spent on advertising doubled.

  • More money spent on advertising than education.

What was “The Hidden Persuaders”? What did it argue and what examples did it give to back up it’s claim?

What proves this claim wrong?

• Vance Pack: claimed advertising psychologically manipulates viewers; “candy” placed at checkouts for bored children and short, subliminal flashes of Coca Cola.

• BUT… research finds that viewers often laugh at exaggerated product claims rather than passively buying into them.

Teenage culture:

What was music/youth culture like at the start of the period?

What did the dawn of rock n’ roll signify? What were its key features + give an example of popular rock artists.

• Rock n’ Roll= first music for young people that was seperate from their parents’ taste.

• More widespread than Beatnik culture

• Rock n’ roll combined Black rhythmn and blues with Hillybilly genres.

• Popular artists included Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry.

How did the economy impact teenage cuture?

• Teen culture created a new sense of group identity.

• New part-time jobs/allowances gave teenagers spending money for buying records.

Why did people (particularly adults) dislike Rock music?

• Disliked by older gens; Time Mag compared Rock concerts to Hitler rallies.

• Parents feared Rock’s influence; rock critiqued MC structures and boasted sexuality.

• White parents believed their children were ‘contaminated’ by black culture

  • WCC: argued rock n roll placed white people on the “same level” as black people.

Beat/Beatnik culture:

What were some features of the Beatnik culture?

• Often MC, rejected consumerism. Believed in drugs and freedom of love- defiance of convention.

What was “On the Road?

Jack Kerouac

• Uni dropout; travelled as a young drifter observing US conformity

• Descriptions of drug use BUT received critical acclaim from the NYT

What was the overall significance/legacy of the Beat movement?

Beat followers gained popularity; Bob Dylan

• Initially a media sensation, but interest was lost post-1960s

• Superficial version of Beats began appearing in colleged; Anti-establishment ideas became fashionable

  • “Phonies” became known as ‘Beatniks’.