1970s Pop Culture

In the 1950s, cars became very important. People living in the suburbs needed a car to drive everywhere. They drove to work, to shop, and to have fun. People drove to national parks. They drove to drive-in theaters to watch movies. They ate at drive-in burger restaurants and ice cream shops. Shopping centers outside of cities became very popular. Cars made it easy for people to go to new places. Now television made it easy for people to see places without leaving their homes. On television, people could see faraway events as they happened. They watched soap operas and comedy

During the 1950s, American society developed a conformity and obeyed social norms. Television, Music, Movies and the suburbs contributed to the standardizing development by giving an experience exhibiting approved social patterns. The new style of music, Rock-n-Roll gave a clear definition of youth and adulthood during this period. Suburbia and Television became symbols of an era. People got their relaxation and enjoyment by watching movies and TV. The life in 1950s was portrayed as a decade of conformity, prosperity and consensus in the United States.

The 1970s is known for being the decade for changing the American values and culture and Hollywood played a major part in this change. It all began with president Nixon being elected in 1969. He ordered bombing in the neutral Cambodia, which he though would help end Vietnam war, but it did not. The 1970s were a very turbulent time due to the tragedy of Vietnam and the trauma caused by the Watergate Scandal. Due to this, People were losing faith in the government and many riots occurred during this time. While the People went through many changes in the 1970s, the Hollywood industry also went through many changes during this time.

The 1970s were a time of confusion and revolution in the United States. Integration finally prevailed in the public school system, with the major incident being in Little Rock, Arkansas. The United States went through an extreme energy crisis in the 1970s. Both Welfare and Social Security went through drastic reform policies throughout the decade. In addition, the U.S. economy fluctuated throughout the decade creating both good and bad times for many, as inflation rates hit an all-time high. The 1970s was an extremely influential decade in America's history, and one that helped to shape following decades.

The 1960s was crammed full of many impacting events and important figures. From Hitchcock releasing one of the greatest thrillers of all time, Psycho, to Marilyn Monroe’s untimely death, to the infamous Woodstock festival. This era changed history completely and made the United States think twice about its youth. Events of the 1960s are still impacting our country as we know it today. The sudden pull from the conservative ‘50s changed America’s views on all aspects of life, including fashion, entertainment, and lifestyles.

Australian popular culture in the 1960s had multiple features, many of which were influenced by the social changes and counter culture at the time. The primary aspects of Australian popular culture in the 1960s were; music, fashion, film, sport and television.

The first thing that shall be addressed is the major fads that became dominant during this time period. The definition of the word ‘fad’ is an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived and without basis in the object's qualities; in other words, a craze. The fads of the 1940’s were border-line extravagant and on some occasions considered immoral

The 1970's was a continuation of the 1960's and had many historical events that changed the world. There was new freedom for women, homosexuals, Native Americans, the elderly, the handicapped, and other minorities (The 1970s: Lifestyles and Social Trends: Overview). Many tragedies happened in the 1970's like: the Beatles broke up, Elvis Presley's death, JFK's assassination, Martin Luther King’s assassination, Robert F. Kennedy's assassination and many more tragedies. Many good things also happened during this decade. It was the year known as the hippie years and the disco fever years. It was the year congress approved the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) for women which changed the image of the world because women were free from the 70's and so

David Farber and Bethy Bailey’s America in the 70’s is a collection from nine authors giving insight on the misunderstood decade. Each author draws heavily on the popular culture in the seventies to illustrate the political and economic transformation. Overshadowed by the 1960s, the seventies are thought to lack passionate champions and struggled in economic transformation. That, with the addition of the defeat in Vietnam, the loss in faith of the president after three failed presidencies and race and gender issues helped camouflage this decade. Americans had “uncertainty about the meaning of happiness, success, patriotism and national identity” (pg. 2).

In the 1970s, many international countries and continents such as Britain, America, Europe and Asia influenced Australia. Many categories in Australian culture were influences, for example, entertainment, music and sport. During the seventies, Australia changed and modified its culture. Entertainment and music changed significantly in the seventies and many countries contributed to what it became. The seventies were renowned for their disco music.

The seventies is often seen as a lost decade, merged between the optimistic sixties and the opportunistic eighties. Bruce J. Schulman argues, in his book titled, “The Seventies: The Great Shift in American Culture”, that this period ignores changes brought by the 1970s. This period brought changes in the economy, shifts in culture, politics, race, family and religious values. The United States faced many transformations that helped shape our country to this day. Schulman begins to explain his thesis, “The Seventies transformed American economic and cultural life as much as, if not more than, the revolutions in manners and morals of the 1920s and the 1960s.” The information that I will present will summarize the changes that affected the United

The 1970s can be best understood as a transitional period in America. Starting in the 1950s, the power of the youth was on the rise, through civil rights activism and anti-war protests. This decade’s ideal citizen seemed to be the person helping others. Then the 1980s are more financially centered and individualistic. This decade’s ideal citizen is the one who measured success by how much money they made. The 1970s proved to be a time of bitterness, cynicism, and increased interest in one’s self for most of the people in America. Some of the events that contributed to this were the Kent State Massacre, Roe v. Wade, and the economic stagflation that happened in the latter part of the decade.

During the 1960s Music was heavily influenced by the political and social events happening at the time. At this time civil rights movements were common as many people were trying to spread the emancipation of racism and segregation. As a result the music of the time tended to reflect this counterculture of peace. This “culture” encompassed civil rights, anti-establishment and, inciting revolution. This was a vital time in history for civil rights activists as well as anti-war revolutionaries and the music industry. From folk music to rock music, everyone was affected by the war and chose to express it through the most international form of art, music. Anti-war activists and counterculture enthusiast craved the music that truly expressed

“Despite the economic uncertainty, riots and struggles, for us in the U.S. at least, the ’70s are considered a time of freedom, both creatively and sexually. I think there is a desire to go back to that,” said Patricia Mears,

For the first time in American history, a large population of people of all ages, classes, and races came together to challenge the traditional institutions, traditional values in society, and "the establishment" in general. Youth, women, ethnic minorities, environmentalists, migrant workers and others caused the emergence of the counter culture. This cultural movement from 1960 to 1973 was caused by many factors. This era was one that was filled with many important events that shaped the way that Americans viewed life. Those who were unhappy with what was going on around them and took part in this social phenomenon reflected and demonstrated their attitudes, values, and ideals in many ways. Various things from