The World Is Better Off Today

When I read “What We Really Miss About the 1950’s”, Stephanie Coontz provides many data and reports to support the positive side and negative sides of the 1950’s. On my first impression, the 1950’s sounded a pretty good era. People just get through the World War II. Many young men came back home or just build their new home.After so many years, American people can do everything at once again. However,every coin has two sides.Some heavy things such as racism, woman’s rights,and McCarthyism. I have to ask myself a question “ Do we really miss those old days?”. Or more specific, “why some time we said those old days are good?”. I do want to argue which era is the best. I just want to focus on why sometime people said old days are better and we

When most people think of the 1950’s or 1960’s, they think of Elvis, Greasers, jukeboxes, Woodstock, and rainbow peace signs and hippie love. Although these symbols are somewhat accurate (and very popular), not many people think about the changes society and culture went through. The 1950’s and 60’s were a time of great change and freedom for many Americans. Everything from World War II, to the gay liberation movement, to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 helped to change society. Many of the views American’s had on topics such as war, gender roles and sexual preference were changed greatly after these events and have led to our culture being what it is today. The 1950’s and 1960’s were a time where great changes took place that helped to

Throughout recent history, the fifties proved to be the most interesting to me because not only was it a time of great economic expansion; but it was also known as a period where current citizens and leaders of the United States frowned upon. The “Golden Age” proved to be one of the most outbreaking movements of the industrial age. This period in American history gave citizens of the United States access to a better standard of living, transformed American agriculture, and brought the rise of the suburban nation. Remarkably, the employment rate for women had skyrocketed during the year of 1955 proving that

Coontz analyses both the weakness and strengths of the period and takes a ‘sarcastic’ approach. She is able to indicate the ideal time for the Americans pointing positive outlooks such as education, birthrate, economic expansion, jobs, family oriented culture and social environment. Her weakness about the myth of the 1950s includes teen pregnancies, poverty, marital problems, discrimination, racial and gender inequalities. She attacks the political system who continues states the goods of the 1950s but the politicians have not created and advanced the ideals and optimism of the 1950s. She categorically attacks the perceptions of people saying the 1950s was good even though when compared to the freedoms and engagements of these days, the 1950s’ thinkers are misplaced. The following quote summarizes her perspective, “This confidence that almost everyone could look forward to a better future stands in sharp contrast to how most contemporary Americans feel, and it explains why a period which many people were much worse off than today sometimes still looks like a better period for families than our own” (p. 40). Based on the historical and available information, Coontz argument may suffice because currently, nobody thinks about the future since the economic and social challenges are immense. The optimism is absent while challenges of discrimination, prejudice are fading. Hence, the article cleverly covers the

The United States has changed immensely since 1950. Americans were worried and anxious about a post-WWII depression that never occurred. 1946 was the year that saw the most marriages. Families started to grow, the economy boomed, people began to own cars and televisions, and much more.

Terry H. Anderson The Sixties takes us back to that controversial decade where citizens not only believed change was important but demanded it to occur. The author beings his discussion on the Cold War era and how it seeded the growth of the sixties. The conventional and orthodox of the fifties was a vast improvement for many of the old-generation who lived through the great depression. The decade was referred to as “Happy Days,” however, it was only truly happy for white American males. The rest of the population was tired of the unfair treatment and the lack of national problems being addressed by the government. This anger was beginning to manifestation and would eventually take center stage in the era of the sixties.

The 1950s was a huge time of change in the world. After World War ll, a record breaking 4 million babies were born each year, this time period became known as the Baby Boom. This rise in population was well needed, there was tons of factories made during the war that needed employees. The 1950s not only changed population, but it changed

Many people inaccurately assess the 1950s and 1960s. Historians, in particular, tend to describe the 1950s as a decade of prosperity and the 1960s as one of turbulence. According to most, peace and harmony defined the 50s while violence and protest conjured the 60s. This isn't true because controversy existed in the fifties, many achievements occurred in the sixties, and both decades had its political ups and downs. With all the criticism surrounding it, the 1960s remains one of the most controversial decades in American history.

As Coontz corrilates "Still, I have no illusions that I'd actually go back to the 1950s , and neither do most people who express such occasional nostalgia" (Coontz, 28). The air that it held of being secure in ones job, future and family was something that everyone could take a security in. Even if that security wasn't something that would have essentailly come to them. People of minorities weren't treated fairly, neither were women. However the ideal of a white man in the 1950's, working and being able to live comfortably with a family and send his children to school was something that everyone wanted to attain, and still want to attain today.

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.

Historians tend to portray the 1950’s as a decade of prosperity, conformity, and consensus, and the 1960’s as a decade of turbulence, protest, and disillusionment. Do you agree or disagree with this view? Show evidence to support your argument.

Life expectancy in the human race has risen dramatically in the past century reaching its highest level for both male and female on record. Between 1981 and 2002 life expectancy at age 50 increases by four and a half years for men and three years for women and two years respectively. By 2002 women who were age of 65 could expect to live to the age of 84 while men could expect to live to the age of 81.

As mentioned earlier, during the 1950s people were more likely to compare themselves to their neighbors and community. There was limited forms of media that everyone saw on a mass scale so most class groups would read or watch the same movies, books, etc. People would look out their

The United States had appeared to be dominated by consensus and conformity in the 1950s. As the commotions of the first half of the century ended, people were relieved but faced oncoming internal issues. The Great Depression and the two Great Wars caused people to seek tranquility and harmony. The fifties were the decade of change led by president Eisenhower. During this time the nation was in an up rise in many ways. The economy was booming as the Gross National Product more than doubled from the past decade. Thus there was a rise in consumer spending which had a domino effect on the economy. Though it was unexpected, many issues arrived such as the fear of communism and the suspicion of communists hiding in the government. At this period

The 1950’s and the 1960’s was a time of change and evolution. It brought on the Civil Rights Movement. This was a very influential time period were these new ideas were incorporated into everyday life and they