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I think the past 30 years have seen more change, but not by much. Change has just hurtled along since the 1890s.
1948-1980 -- Civil Rights for blacks. Equal rights for women. Population shift South and West. Television and its effect on everything, especially politics. The introduction of computing for corporations. Large jumps in technology.
1980-Today -- The Great Decentralization, characterized total and utter destruction of traditional distribution channels for commerce, media, you name it. The Internet is probably on the scale of the printing press for the changes it will effect on the world. The wholesale change in the fabric of society. Massive amounts of innovation.
Which third of a century was more changeful, the late 40s to early 80s or early 80s to early 10s?
Would you say people/life in 1980 overall has more in common with the contemporary moment or with the late 1940s?
Having been born in 1938 I have lived through both eras.
Undoubtedly there were many - and enormous - changes in U.S. society from the 40s up to 1980. But I feel that it was still possible in the 1970s to see a continuity back to the Fifties, if not the Forties. I certainly did.
The change in the U.S. from 1980 to the present time was far more radical in my opinion. It seems that the U.S. turned a sharp corner in the 80s, and that the period since then has little relation to the previous U.S.
I always think of post 1980 as USA II, and I see it as having almost no continuity with the United States of America that existed before then. It is a new country, with a new society, a new civilization.
And, in my opinion, it needs to get a grip on itself and move on.
I think 48-80, look at how technology changed, we went from slow prop planes to super sonic passenger flight, we went from room sized computers to computers that fit on your desk top, some clumsy rockets to putting several men on the moon, an interstate system connecting the U.S.
Largest technology change 1948-80. Largest Social Change 1980 to present.
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