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Teenage Dating in the 1950s Essay examples

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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 …show more content…

She then is given the option of accepting his call by letting him in or rejecting it by making up an excuse as to why she cannot see him. Refreshments were often served (though not always), and the entertainment was primarily piano playing in the parlor. But because the lower classes were not so well-endowed so that they own pianos or even parlors, they started their own form of "courtship" which soon became known as dating. This practice was soon picked up by the upper classes, and from there it progressed into the middle class, with which it is still inherently associated today (Bailey 17).

Calling and dating are so intrinsically different it is hard to imagine how the transition from one to another was even made. Firstly, calling was practiced with the intention of finding a suitable husband for a young lady; whereas, in dating, this was, and still is, not the primary goal. People date because it is "enjoyable, pleasant, and valuable" (Merrill 62), and they thought that they could gain rewarding experiences from it. In the fifties and surrounding decades, handbooks and other books exploring relationships described dating as a fun activity in which teens are allowed to meet and mingle with many members of the opposite sex. Besides, dating allowed young people to be with each other without their parents interfering. Secondly,

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