The Good Life Growing Up in the 1950s Can life in the 1950s be described as the good life? In what ways was life in the 1950s similar or different to life today?

Baby Boom Period between 1945 and 1965 Population increases rapidly because there is a high birth rate (a boom in the # of babies born) Canadians getting married and having children younger Period when families having 3 or 4 children Why do you think there is a boom in the # of babies born after WWII?

Suburbs Residential areas on the outskirts of cities Enabled new families to own homes Houses were new with big backyards Made possible because more people have cars Why do we see the growth of suburbs in the post-war period?

Consumer Culture Cars, transistor radios, t.v., washing machines, hairdryers, record players, power lawn mowers, electric toasters Toys – play-doh, frisbees, hula hoops, Barbie, yoyos, slinky Growth of advertising to market these goods Why do we see an increase in consumption the post-war period?

Family Life “Well, girls, you have done a nice job; you looked very cute in your overalls and we appreciate what you have done for us; but just run along now; go home; we can get along without you very easily.” Traditional gender roles Female – mother, wife, household manager Male – breadwinner An increasing number of women work when they are married, but leave the workplace when they have children Why might this period have been a challenging time for women?

A Middle-Class Ideal Do all Canadians live in the suburbs and enjoy having a car, t.v., and the newest appliances?

Life as a Teenager Age Have leisure time and money Spend time watching t.v. and listening to radio 1950s society strict and conservative (teenagers suspended if they wore blue jeans to class, forbidden to smoke, drink, girls should not to wear revealing clothing, expectation sex does not take place outside of marriage, no activities on Sundays – blue laws) Some rebel against constraints Start to see difference in attitudes and beliefs between teenagers and parents (generation gap) Teens want to conform or fit in with other teenagers – “be cool”

What Teenager group would you have belonged to in the 1950s? Hipsters Rockers/Hoods Beatniks Squares Teeny-boppers

Music s and early 60s 1954 – term Rock and Roll used for the first time 1956 – Elvis Presley has 3 number one hits (Heartbreak Hotel, Hound Dog, Don’t Be Cruel) Other music – doo wop, rhythm and blues, rockabilly 1964 – Beatles have a number one hit for 19 weeks In the early 1960s, the twist was one of the most popular dances How does the music of the 1950s and early 60s reflect what we know about society during that time?

T.V. Most popular t.v. shows are American: Ed Sullivan Show, I Love Lucy, Honeymooners Popular Canadian shows included The Plouffe Family, Hockey Night in Canada

Activity – Date Night Canadian Scrapbook: Years of Promise, pgs Create a Date night: What would you wear on your date? Boys – how would you wear your hair? Where would you go on your date? What would be playing on the radio? What would you be forbidden to do?

Mid-to-late 1960s Can the 1960s be described as a period of revolution. Explain.

LATE 1960S Baby boomers now teenagers Become concerned about their future (atomic bomb, effects of consumption on the environment) Reject values and beliefs of parents (create a counter-culture) Anti-authoritarian (Rebel against authority)

Hippies A new countercultural youth group Begin to question traditional practices and institution Long hair, beards Scruffy, second hand clothes, tie-dye, bell-bottoms, sandals or barefoot, head scarves, long beaded necklaces More permissive attitudes towards sex smoke marijuana and use mind-altering drugs Political activism - peace movement ( anti-Vietnam war), anti- nuclear (Greenpeace started 1970)

Music – Mid-Late 1960s Psychedelic Rock Music that enhanced the experience of psychedelic drugs Bands include Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Beatles, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix 1969 – Woodstock (approximately 400,000 young people attend the festival) How does psychedelic rock reflect society in the mid-late 1960s.

Sexual Revolution More permissive attitude toward sex – “Free love” – sex is natural and should not be repressed Pre-marital sex becomes more common during this period Birth control introduced in 1961 – it is easy and reliable, however it is still illegal in Canada to sell it or prescribe it. Gay rights organizations emerge – homosexuality, however, is considered a crime by the government and a psychological disorder by doctors. Civil servants, RCMP, Armed Forces who were found out to be homosexuals would have been fired.

In 1967 Pierre Trudeau states – “There’s no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation.” Bill C homosexuality no longer a crime, contraceptives and abortion (under certain conditions) become legal, and it becomes easier to get a divorce.