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William H. Young with Nancy K. Young
ISBN: 0-313-36160-6
ISBN-13: 978-0-313-36160-9
376 pages
Greenwood Press
Publication: 10/30/2008
List Price: $25.00 (UK Sterling Price: £17.95)
Availability: Print on demand
Media Type: Paperback
Also Available: Hardcover
Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4
Subjects:
Description: Have the 1950s been overly romanticized? Beneath the calm, conformist exterior, new ideas and attitudes were percolating. This was the decade of McCarthyism, Levittowns, and men in gray flannel suits, but the 1950s also saw bold architectural styles, the rise of paperback novels and the Beat writers, Cinema Scope and film noir, television variety shows, the Golden Age of the automobile, subliminal advertising, fast food, Frisbees, and silly putty. Meanwhile, teens attained a more prominent role in American culture with hot rods, rock 'n' roll, preppies and greasers, and—gasp—juvenile delinquency. At the same time, a new technological threat, the atom bomb, lurked beneath the surface of the postwar decade. This volume presents a nuanced look at a surprisingly complex time in American popular culture.

 Title Features:
American Popular Culture Through History is the only reference series that presents a detailed, narrative discussion of United States popular culture. This volume is one of 17 in the series, each of which presents essays on Everyday America, The World of Youth, Advertising, Architecture, Fashion, Food, Leisure Activities, Literature, Music, Performing Arts, Travel, and Visual Arts.
Table of Contents:
  • Series Foreword by Ray B. Browne
    Acknowledgments
    Introduction
    Timeline of the 1950s
    Life and Youth During the 1950s
    Everyday America
    World of Youth
    Popular Culture of the 1950s
    Advertising
    Architecture and Design
    Fashion
    Food and Drink
    Leisure Activities
    Literature
    Music
    Performing Arts
    Travel and Recreation
    Visual Arts
    Cost of Products in the 1950s
    Notes
    Further Reading
    Index
About the Author: WILLIAM H. YOUNG is a freelance writer and independent scholar. He has recently retired from teaching English, American Studies, and popular culture at Lynchburg College in Virginia for 36 years. Young has published books and articles on various subjects of popular culture.

NANCY K. YOUNG is an adjunct professor for the Counselor Education Program in the School of Education and Human Development at Lynchburg College.
LCC Class: 973
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