1. 1950s Society Consensus & Challenges to Consensus

2. Consensus Consensus = Agreement; a lack of differing opinions Examples of Consensus in the 1950s: –Suburbia –The organization man –The “Feminine Mystique” –Baby boom –Consumerism TV, Disneyland, Fast food –McCarthyism / 100% Americanism

3. Suburbia

6. Organization Man

7. The Feminine Mystique

9. Baby Boom

11. Consumerism

14. Fast Food

16. TV

18. Disneyland

22. McCarthyism / 100% Americanism

23. Consensus Themes Loss of individuality Keeping up appearances Keeping up with the neighbors Consumerism Pretending if things aren’t perfect

24. But there was trouble in paradise...

25. Housewives’ Unhappiness

26. Mother’s Little Helper By the Rolling Stones What a drag it is getting old. Kids are different today I hear every mother say Mother needs something today to calm her down And though she’s not really ill There’s a little yellow pill She goes running for the shelter Of her mother’s little helper And it helps her on her way Gets her through her busy day. Things are different today I hear every mother say Cooking fresh food for he husband’s just a drag So she buys an instant cake And she buys a frozen steak And goes running for the shelter Of her mother’s little helper And to help her on her way Gets her through her busy day

27. Doctor please Some more of these Outside the door She took four more What a drag it is getting old Men just aren’t the same today I hear every mother say They just don’t appreciate that you get tired They’re so hard to satisfy You could tranquilize your mind So go running for the shelter Of her mother’s little helper And to help you through the night Help to minimize your plight

28. Doctor please Some more of these Outside the door She took four more What a drag it is getting old Life’s just much too hard today I hear every mother say The pursuit of happiness just seems a bore And if you take more of those You will get an overdose No more running for the shelter To your mother’s little helper It just helped you on your way To your busy dying day

29. Rise in Juvenile Delinquency

30. Atomic Fears

31. But there were those who didn’t like consensus and refused to conform…

32. Challenges to Consensus The Civil Rights Movement Teen Culture –Rock ‘n Roll The Beats The Persistence of Poverty

33. Challenges Themes Reclaim individuality Go against authority Address the ignored problems in society

34. Teen Culture

39. The Beats

42. From Howl by Allen Ginsberg

43. Rock ‘n Roll

44. So which version of life was really true???