Flirting In The 1940's

Chapter Two ~ “Silver Screen Romance”
Throughout time there are some periods that are distinct to those looking back. The fashion, ideas, historical events and lives of people in the past vary between the decades. The 1940’s mark a decade where peace was declared and old norms and values were shed. Finding a soulmate was more important then than ever as a new world rose up and pop culture gained traction. Dating was part of the rise of pop culture in the 1940’s. Women and girls were given more roles in society outside of roles in the home. As a result of this combined with the newfound ‘teenager’ image, adolescent girls would dress in men’s clothes, listen to popular music one the gramophone and socialise with adolescent boys.
These trends

continue to today as cross-sex friendships have become popular and same-sex relationships have become less stigmatized. "Up to the middle 60s, most Americans had spouses, children and acquaintances made and unmade rather easily and painlessly. The husband had careers that required (their wives) to move frequently with their families and there was no place for close friendships which were considered to be threatening marital intimacy.” (Safilios‐rothschild, 1981) Interviewee Indijit Singh believes, “Dating in the past was much more about going out and hanging out properly rather than just watching a movie together and sex.” Indijit’s observation is more or less accuration. Indeed dating was considerably more conservative and polite than what occurs today. An instructional video from the 1940’s found on YouTube describes the process of dating in this time. The media portrays the 1940’s as a time of newfound freedom and nostalgia as pictures of teenager listening to music at a record store etc. (Krentz, 2012) represent the period.
Also as Indijit pointed out, dating has changed since the 1940’s.

Flirting is a technique used by people in order to attract a certain type of person. As IISuperwomanII (2015) describes, flirting has changed dramatically since the introduction of technology. “E-flirting” is a type of flirting IISuperwomanII says is the most common in the present because of all the applications the internet and social media can have. Physical beauty standards have also changed since the 1940’s. For example, modest clothing and natural beauty were the norms of fashion trends in the 1940’s whereas today fashion is notably less conservative. Women and girls will often wear revealing clothing in order to gain male’s attention and wear makeup that may be considered exotic by 1940’s standards. Researchers have also commented one the changing society. “But first impressions are important - and have become more so as societies become increasingly mobile and urbanised and as contacts with people become more fleeting.” (Berscheid, 1981; cited in Myers, 2013) This is when online dating plays a role. In the past, the thought of picking a life partner through something similar to a television screen would have been absurd. But now, online dating is quickly becoming a norm of dating.
To sum up, dating was a relatively new concept in the 1940’s and the freedom that came as a result of D-Day meant that the roles of women changed and so teenage girls could appreciate a greater independence. This concept of dating

has changed from the 1940’s to now in the essence of how people go about it.