How did youth subculture develop between 1951 and 1964? In this lesson, we will: Explain why the teenager emerged in the 1950s. Describe the key features of Teddy Boys, Mods and Rockers. Starter: What can we infer about Churchill’s 1951 government from this David Low cartoon?

What created the teenager of the 1950s? There was a post-war ‘baby boom’. This meant there were over a million more teenagers in 1965 than in 1951 Teenagers were healthier (a better diet + the NHS), better educated and free of the danger of war. The growth of production line technology and service (white-collar) jobs meant that unskilled teenagers could earn higher wages than their parents had done. With no rent or bills to pay they had lots of money to spend on entertainment and fashion. By 1957, National Service was abolished in the UK. No longer did young men have to serve in the army for 18 months. As a result of high employment, low inflation and generally high wages – many young people began to express themselves with fashion and music.

£ £ £ £ £ SATTIRE AFFLUENCE GENERATION GAP NO NATIONAL SERVICE £ £ £ HEALTH EDUCATION FREE OF WAR BABY BOOM SATTIRE

What created the teenager of the 1950s? They had the money to buy the latest records, clothes and magazines. Advertising in magazines, on the radio and on TV helped fuel teenage subculture during this period. Subcultures like Teddy Boys, Mods and Rockers were all largely influenced by rock n’ roll in the United States. In 1945, Horn notes that there were probably a few hundred jukeboxes and by 1958 there were an estimated 13,000. This study sought to align this growth with the increased visibility of the teenager. There was a real fear during this period that music and fashion developments could create a more ‘permissive society’. Young people were less respectful of the establishment.

What subcultures developed in the 1950s? The first major subculture were the Teddy Boys. They tended to listen to rock music from the United States (Bill Hailey, They wore the fashion of their grandparents – long coats, waistcoats, tapered trousers and smart brogues. In 1956, there were reports of Teds slashing seats and causing damage to property after watching Billy Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock” 1958, Notting Hill erupted into race riots with groups of young white men going on “nigger hunts”. Teddy Boys were linked to this. It caused Britain to wake up in shock to the existence of the teenager, kicking off a moral panic that swept through the media and the middle-aged over ‘feral youth’ and ‘the teen menace’.

What subcultures developed in the early 1960s? By the early 1960s, two new subcultures had developed in Britain – Mods and Rockers. Mods tended to wear biker jackets, boots and jeans. They listened to American rock music like Elvis Presley. Mods often wore skinny fit Italian suits, mini-skirts, smart shoes and listened to British pop bands like The Who and the Jam. The media flared tension between these groups by reporting of their differences and rivalries. During Bank Holiday weekend, boredom would often lead to clashes between them at sea side resorts like Clacton, Margate and Brighton. In reality, the trouble between these two groups was very small.

Although there was violence and several arrests, overall it was blown out of proportion. For example in Clacton there was only £513 worth of damage in Easter of 1964!

The following Bank Holiday was slightly worse, as many Mods and Rockers lived up to the media’s portrayal of them. The newspapers had made things worse.

How did Cohen explain this behaviour? Sociologist Stanley Cohen argued in his 1972 book ‘Folk Devils and Moral Panic’s’ that fear surrounding youth subculture in the 1960s was a myth. In the book, he explains that if someone is acting in a way that is not typical to what society is used to, then the media tends to extremely overreact about it. The more the media cover this new behaviour the more it becomes established. So rather than stopping it they help it to grow. He goes on to explain how crime is not a simple black and white concept where there are specific rules. But instead, social reaction determines the direction that crime follows.

Learning Task One When were they active? What would they were? For each pop vinyl template you’ve been given. Design them in the style of: Teddy Boys Mods Rockers When were they active? What would they were? What would they listen to? What impact did they have on British society?