I grew up in the 1940s and 1950s. I became a documentary filmmaker when I was just 22 years old so by the time I got a grant from PBS to make a television series on the 1960s titled Making Sense of the Sixties (1990), I had been doing documentary interviews for a very long time. This is a clip from an episode of that series.
When people say that the 1950s were easier than today, the 1950s may have been easier for certain groups of people. For example the economy was strong, unemployment was low, and the middle class was expanding. Also the post-World War II era brought about a sense of stability and prosperity for many Americans.
Economic prosperity: The 1950s were a time of economic growth and stability in the United States. The post-World War II boom led to low unemployment rates, a rising middle class and a sense of financial security for many Americans.
Simpler lifestyle: Compared to today the 1950s were a simpler time in terms of technology and media. People didn’t have smartphones, social media or constant access to news and information. This may have made it easier to disconnect and focus on family, friends and leisure activities.
Social norms: In the 1950s there were more clearly defined gender roles and expectations for behavior. This may have provided a sense of structure and stability for some people.
The 1950s have been described by some of my commentators and by my team in this clip as a socially uptight time period due to the strict social norms and expectations that existed during that era. Here are a few examples:
Gender roles: The 1950s were characterized by rigid gender roles with men expected to be breadwinners and women expected to be homemakers. Women who pursued careers or wanted more independence were often stigmatized and marginalized.
Conformity: The post-World War II era brought about a desire for conformity and a rejection of anything seen as “un-American.” This led to a culture of uniformity and homogeneity, with little room for individual expression or diversity.
Sexual repression: The 1950s were a time of sexual conservatism, with premarital sex, homosexuality, and other non-heteronormative behaviors stigmatized and often criminalized. This led to a culture of sexual repression and secrecy, which could be suffocating for many people.
Racism and discrimination: Despite the economic prosperity of the 1950s, many people of color faced discrimination and prejudice on a daily basis. Segregation was still in place in many parts of the country, and the civil rights movement was just beginning to gain traction.
In many ways Americans have more freedom today than they did in the 1950s.
Civil rights: In the 1950s segregation and discrimination were still prevalent, particularly for people of color. Since then, significant progress has been made in advancing civil rights and ensuring equal treatment under the law.
Women’s rights: Women in the 1950s were expected to conform to strict gender roles and had limited opportunities for education and career advancement. Today, women have greater access to education, career opportunities, and reproductive rights.
The 1950s were a time of intense stigma and discrimination against gays with homosexuality often criminalized and stigmatized.
Freedom of expression: While the 1950s were characterized by conformity and a rejection of anything seen as “un-American,” today’s society is generally more accepting of diverse opinions, beliefs, and lifestyles. Social media and the internet have provided greater platforms for free expression and the sharing of ideas.
Prior to my series, there had been a series on PBS called Eyes On The Prize that looked at the civil rights movement during that time. My challenge was to make a series that helped the teenage and early 20s children of those who grew up during these times, the so-called silent generation and the baby boomers, to understand what their parents had gone through. I decided to interview for the most part ordinary Americans and historians – experts – who had spent their time studying this era. The style of my interviews was to let people tell the stories of their lives their ways.
One of the main ways that the “rules” from the 1950s were communicated to kids and teenagers was at school and through educational films like the ones presented. It was here that I found rules stated in obvious and subtle ways that matched what most of the people I interviewed remembered from that time.
Based on what I heard from the interviews and from the historians, my team and I concluded that it was largely the experiences that kids had in the 1950s that created many of the social and some of the political events that took place in the 1960s. Other segments from the series are on my YouTube channel. I do hope you enjoy this and find it thought-provoking.
