1. The “Me” Decade: Life in the 1970s
Chapter 19, section 4
Many Americans were optimistic about moving beyond Watergate and the Vietnam War.

2. People sought to cope with what was going on in our nation through,
Laughter

3. Fads

4. Entertainment

5. Spiritual movements

6. I’m OK, You’re Okay: How to be your own best friend
Tom Wolfe coined the phrase the “Me” decade to refer to American’s attitude in the 1970s.
Popular books of the day:
I’m OK, You’re Okay: How to be your own best friend
Looking out for #1.

7. New Age Movements:
Zen
Martial Arts
Tai chi
Yoga
Crystals

8. Transcendental Meditation
One fad of the day was transcendental meditation – a way to meditate and seek release from the grind of life.
The most well known gurus was Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

9. The Beatles followed him for a while, which made it even more popular.

10. Changing family dynamic:
One of the most significant cultural changes of the day was the changing role of women.
In the Work force:
1970 – 60% of women between the ages of 16 and 24 joined the workforce.
1970 – Women between the ages of were the largest annual percentage of growth in the workforce.

11. The impact of the more women in the workforce:
Lower birth rates
Children spending less time with their parents – babysitters, latch-key kids
Increased divorce rate.

12. Television:
TV began to portray women in a different light, more modern, less traditional roles.
Independent
Single mothers
Mary Tyler Moore show - single women, making it successfully in the workforce.

13. More uncomfortable “issues” were dealt with on television. Topics like:
Abortion
Racism
Poverty
The ground breaking sitcom to deal with many of these issues with a funny “in-your-face” approach was All in the Family.

14. Spin-offs from All in the Family

15. Music
Hard Rock
John Denver
Barry Manilow
The Eagles
Jackson Five
The Bee Gees

16. Disco

17. Personalized Messages on T-shirts
Fashion and Fads
Personalized Messages on T-shirts

18. Mood Rings

19. Skateboards

21. Fitness – Aerobics and gyms

22. Cultural
Trends
Of the
70s