Youth in the 1950's

Paper Summary:

This paper explores the cultural development of youth, and especially boys, in Britain in the early 1950s going on to the 60s. The paper examines this issue through the eyes of the media, making use of the movies and music of the time to discover what formed the youth of that time. Included in the many examples used are "To Sir With Love," "A Hard Days Night," "Smashing Time" and many others. The paper explains that the phenomenon of youthful culture and diversion were evident due to the changing times, economies and politics seen in these movies.

From the Paper:

"The character of Joe Lampton (Laurence Harvey) in Jack Clayton's Room at the Top, for example, was used to show how despite the supposedly classless orientation of the newly affluent society "the patronizing upper class, the self-made middle class anxious to preserve the status quo and a conservative and conformist working class" made upward movement in society a rare, difficult and ultimately shallow achievement (Richards 150)."

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