Similarities And Differences Between The 1950's And Today

Since the beginning of time, the term decade has been coined as a period of ten years or over a span of ten years. As each decade progresses, we experience the phenomenon where each decade blends into another or we witness the process of each decade breaking off and becoming its own. The 1950’s was a time period where remaining true to core values and morals were vital to their survival in an upstanding society; whereas, the values and morals of modern times rely more so on the individual conscience of the specific person and what that significance means to each of them. The two decades have shown both similarities and differences on how the lives of the people were lived, and how each decade was able to mold a society that was key to their

survival. Many traditions, fashions, and customs of the 1950’s are heavily reflected upon in modern times; however, the modern era has innovated and created many of its own traditions, fashions, and customs.
The family structure and specific gender roles were a much more prominent way of life in the 1950’s than that of modern times.

In the 1950’s, the family consisted of a husband who left the home everyday to provide for his family. It was vital for the man of the house to support his family financially. On the other hand, the duty of the wife was to maintain the home, provide a home cooked meal for her husband, and to raise the children. Essentially, she was the homemaker. While the duties of man and wife were specifically divided during the 1950’s, the lifestyle of people during modern times is quite different. The father is now often considered a co-parent. Both husband and wife have careers, raise the children, and tend to duties pertaining to the home. The efforts are attacked more as a team than as

individuals.
However, the statistics of modern times seem to be reverting back to those of the 1950’s. As the children of the baby boom are reaching the age at which they must have children of their own, the rate of births is rapidly increasing. Also, the rate of increasing divorces is has come to a slowing halt. It is the hope that the excessive divorce rate of the 1960’s and 1970’s will return to a period where couples wish to manage their relationships to the fullest of their abilities.
The designs of advertisements during the 1950’s were often simplistic, yet eye catching.

Many of the ads related to and displayed images of ideals and traditions that were practiced in a typical 1950’s home. The colors are duller, often making use of pastels and homey colors. On the other hand, advertisements of modern times are often flashy and trite. Many make use out of bright colors, distorted images, and overzealous tactics to try to compete with other advertising companies and suppliers.
A concept that surfaced in the early 1920’s, advertising is a tactic that has been used to influence and persuade the people to participate in consumerism. Advertising in the 1950’s was mainly displayed by the use of the television, newspapers, billboards, and the radio. At the turn of the twenty-first century, advertisers began to rely more on the Internet and technology to share and provide information based on their products. Many relied on the usage of electronic billboards, sporting events, and even video

games.
The importance of fashion during the 1950’s was a key component of the stature and social standing of an individual in a society. Because the people during the fifties took so much pride in their appearances, it was more than common for town folk to be spotted in their Sunday best on every day of the week. Women, particularly always dressed up, were often found in fancy teacup dresses that were decorative and vibrant in color paired with heels that offered a woman height and confidence. A woman during the 1950’s was rarely found without her hair done in some fashion, whether it be curled, pinned, or twisted into a busy updo topped off with an amount of hairspray that would be considered unhealthy. The face of a woman was always perfectly contoured with the newest makeup product. Unlike the people of the 1950’s, the people of the modern generation take less pride in their appearance to the public. What were once elegant dresses and classy heels has now turned into comfy joggers and worn out sneakers. People of today’s generation dress more accordingly to their comfort and their current attitudes rather than their feelings of pride and confidence. Individuals have the option to choose between various different brands that offer different styles of clothing.
While many aspects between the 1950’s and modern times seem to very different, people from both generations include both dressed up and dressed versions of themselves. While woman were rarely seen without fancy makeup and hairdo, at some point a woman will strip away all of the layers and dress accordingly for the desire of comfort. On the other hand, people of the current generation will put on their Sunday best for a special event, a night out on the time, or even for their own satisfaction. Also, people of both generations have went to drastic measures to ensure they have the means to be able to purchase the clothing, shoes, and products than enable each to maintain a desired appearance.
Sixty-six years have since separated the beginning of the 1950’s with modern times and while the changes that have occurred remain intact, we still see reflections of the 1950’s traditions and customs pop up in the mainstream culture of modern times. Similarities in family structures, advertisements, and fashion showcase that many of the ideals that were first introduced in an earlier generation have since been deemed worthy and useful for later generations. Each custom, ideal, and tradition has been able to provide some sort of wisdom and advantage for the people to come. The changes that took places were efforts to better a family and a nation. The invention of new products and the innovation of earlier products were signals of a nation changing and preparing for new adventures. The attitude of the country transformed into what seemed to best decision at the given moment. Like a mother raising her children, the people of the country must decide what is the right way to raise their country, and with true determination the upbringing of a era will rise.