1950s+Teenager+ARBE

1. In the 1950s, Americans - teenagers in particular - fell in love with a new genre of music that had emerged during that decade. Rock 'n' roll was a term coined by Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed. This new era of music originated from African Americans, for it was a blend of jazz and rhythm and blues. Teens embraced this sensational music but most of their parents, however, didn't approve of the content the lyrics contained, which suggested to the listener that drinking and smoking were okay. Even though plenty of adults opposed rock 'n' roll, that didn't stop teenage boys and girls from purchasing records of the music. They wanted something to define their generation, so that's why they turned to it and why rock 'n' roll was so popular among them. This music had a great influence on them; their clothes, their hairstyles... it even inspired them to become more rebellious. This genre of music was loved by teens, who saw it as freedom in a world all about conformity, but detested by everyone else.
 * 1950s Teenagers**

2. Fashion became radically different during the years following World War II, especially for teenagers; one of the fads for teen girls were poodle skirts, which first appeared in a 1951 issue of //Life// magazine. These garments were usually made of felt and had one or several crinolines to make it look full, while others were adorned with a poodle applique. Bobby socks (also known as ankle socks) were also fashionable for them during the fifties. In addition, they complemented the saddle shoes. A typical hairstyle for young men were 'crew cuts' in which most of the hair is cut short except a piece across the forehead that could be brushed or combed to one side. They imitated male celebrities such as movie star James Dean and the legendary "King of Rock and Roll," Elvis Presley by donning leather jackets and white t-shirts to show off their rebellious side. Many others adopted the 'Greaser' look and slicked back their hair. Unfortunately, teens were suppressed to express themselves through fashion due to school dress codes (see below); regardless, many fads emerged at the time and they were worn by a majority of teenagers.

3. Dating was revolutionized by teenagers in the fifties. In the mid-1920s, a man would call upon a woman by coming to her house and present his card. The woman then would have decide whether or not to accept it; this was a ritual for the upper classes, which was usually done so the young lady would find herself a suitable husband. The lower classes did not do this, and their form of courtship (which is now known as dating) was later adopted by the richer people. In the 1950s, it wasn't like this. Teenagers dated often because it gave them the opportunity to hang out with friends and have a good time, not to find a husband. Most conformed to the standards at this time because if you were as young as thirteen and hadn't gone on a date, then you were considered a 'late bloomer.' This pastime was so popular during this time that it was common knowledge to most girls when it came to the dating process which was as follows: First, when you are young, you would interact with the boys on the playground - nothing romantic whatsoever. As you grew older, you would begin flirting with them, therefore resulting in a double date to ease the tension of those new to the dating scene. After that, you would proceed to single dating then advance into the 'going steady' stage if the relationship lasted up to that point. Dating as we know it became popular because the teenage life was more public during the 1950s.

4. There were a lot of expectations for teens during this time. For young men, joining the military was highly anticipated during the pre-World War II years. They were also expected to become the breadwinner of their family and find a job to provide for their family when they got married and had children. As for teenage girls, they were taught how to become good wives and care for their children, and education was not as important for them. That changed, however, in the 1950s; they gained more freedom, which enabled them to buy more things for themselves with extra money, and attend social gatherings like high school dances. Also, they were more inclined to attend college and major in a career. Teenagers were no longer strapped down by conformity, so they began doing things their way, like listening to their own music instead of whatever their parents listened to, hanging out with friends, and allowing their peers to influence them since they began to think that their parent's opinions were not as important.

5. Another thing teens revolutionized were dancing. They knew that their parents didn't approve of their lifestyle. Teen boys and girls created their own dances, for they didn't want follow the same dance steps as their parents. Some of the new dance styles that emerged in the fifties were the Jitterbug, the Lindy, the rock 'n' roll, and the Bop. Thanks to the //American Bandstand//, a popular television show among teenagers at the time, most imitated their moves from the lucky ones in Philadelphia who danced on tv. Some of the dances we know today probably wouldn't exist if it weren't for the teens from the fifties.

**Primary Documents** //BOYS// VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS **Recommended:** **Not Recommended:** //GIRLS// ACADEMIC AND VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS **Recommended:** **Not Recommended:**
 * 1) Shirt and tie or sport shirt and tie
 * 2) Sport shirt with sweater or jacket
 * 3) Standard trousers or khakis; clean and neatly pressed
 * 4) Shoes, clean and polished; white bucks acceptable
 * 1) Dungarees or soiled, unpressed khakis
 * 2) T-shirts, sweat shirts
 * 3) Extreme styles of shoes, including hobnail or "motorcycle boots"
 * 1) Blouses, sweaters, blouse and sweater, jacket with blouse or sweater
 * 2) Skirts, jumpers, suits or conservative dresses
 * 3) Shoes appropriate to the rest of the costume
 * 1) V-neck sweaters without blouse
 * 2) Bermuda shorts, kilts, party-type dresses, slacks of any kind
 * 3) Ornate jewelry
 * 4) T-shirts, sweat shirts

//The purpose of this school dress code for high school students in New York was to discourage juvenile delinquency and gang-related behavior. Youth culture was rising at that time, so a dress code was one of the many things that suppressed it//.



//Wearing dog collars around the ankle was a popular fashion trend among girls; if the collar was on the left ankle, it meant that the girl had a boyfriend. If it was on the right, then she was single. This was one of the many fads worn by teens.//

My research defends the loss of innocence and emergence of identity experienced by many teenagers because the 1950s was the perfect opportunity to create their own culture, so they seized that chance. Their preferences and cultural differences caused a generation gap; America today wouldn't be the way it is now if it weren't for this. It was true that some teens rebelled against society, but they often felt that they were misunderstood so they didn't conform to the standards at the time. We benefited from this: dances originated from them, expectations changed. Teenagers symbolized the fifties because they dared to make their own tracks, not follow their parent's footsteps.

**Works Cited**

Board of Education, Buffalo, New York. "Dress Code for High School Students in New York." 6 November 2011 //American History Online//. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE52&iPin=E14091&SingleRecord=True

Cox, Erika. "Teenage Life in the 1950s." //www.seniorwasteland.com//. N.p., 2011. Web. 8 November 2011. .

"Dress Code for High School Students in New York." 6 November 2011 //American History Online//. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE52&iPin=E14091&SingleRecord=True

Escovar, Matthew. "rock and roll." In Winkler, Allan M., Charlene Mires, and Gary B. Nash, eds. 5 November 2011 //Encyclopedia of American History: Postwar United States, 1946 to 1968//, Revised Edition (Volume IX). New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2010. //American History Online//. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE52&iPin=EAHIX215&SingleRecord=True

"Fashion Trend for Teenage Girls in the 1950s." 7 November 2011 //American History Online//. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE52&iPin=AHI2568&SingleRecord=True

"Fashion Trend for Teenage Girls in the 1950s." 7 November 2011 Library of Congress. Prints and Photographs Division. New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection. //American History Online//. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE52&iPin=AHI2568&SingleRecord=True

Miller, Brandon Marie. "Do Your Own Thing." 5 November 2011 //Dressed for the Occasion//. 78. US: Lerner Publishing Group, 1999. //History Reference Center//. Web.

Peril, Lynn. "Poodle Skirt." 5 November 2011 //Daily Life through History//. ABC-CLIO,2011. Web.

Powers, Richard. "Teen Dances of the 1950s." //www.socialdance.stanford.edu//. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 November 2011. .

Schrum, Kelly. "Bobby Sox." 5 November 2011 //Daily Life through History//. ABC-CLIO,2011. Web.

Sherrow, Victoria. "crew cut." 5 November 2011 //Daily Life through History//. ABC-CLIO,2011. Web.

Sombat, Windy. "Teenage Dating in the 1950s." //www.universityhonors.umd.edu//. N.p., 2000. Web. 6 November 2011. .

"The 1950s: Entertainment." //www.decades.sirs.com//. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 November 2011. .