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But in both 1896 and 1954, families usually stayed together. There was no sky-high divorce rate. The country wasn't in mega-debt. There was no drug epidemic. No AIDS.
Because in the 1950s, people who got divorced were made outcastes in society. It didn't matter that a wife was tired of her husband beating her or cheating on her. She put up with it because it was considered dishonorable to get a divorce. Nowadays, attitudes about divorce have changed. Women are less likely to put up with cheating husbands and violent husbands.
There were still drugs available in the 1950s. And ask yourself this. How did the drugs get into this nation?
There wasn't AIDS, but there were other venereal diseases, like syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, Hepatitis B.
In the mid-fifties the oldest baby boomer was ten years old. The fifties are being discussed here, I thought.
We are discussing the 50s. The oldest teenagers in the mid-1950s were born during the last few years of the Depression. It makes one wonder the dynamic that was going on when 1950s teenagers were 9 or 10.
We are discussing the 50s. The oldest teenagers in the mid-1950s were born during the last few years of the Depression. It makes one wonder the dynamic that was going on when 1950s teenagers were 9 or 10.
Well, using 1956 as the mid-fifties, sixteen year-olds would have been born around 1940. They were growing up with WWII. Maybe that did something to their collective psyche?
In any case, sex has been happening for a long time. What is really unusual (according to statistics presented in this thread) is that particular cohort was very small. They were in-between the greatest generation and the baby boomers. I kind of envy them! They didn't have to compete with millions of others for a job or anything! If they did something unique there were probably not millions of others doing the same thing.
Anyway, I digress.
Ghost threw in the sixties, which are irrelevant to this thread.
Well, using 1956 as the mid-fifties, sixteen year-olds would have been born around 1940. They were growing up with WWII. Maybe that did something to their collective psyche?
In any case, sex has been happening for a long time. What is really unusual (according to statistics presented in this thread) is that particular cohort was very small. They were in-between the greatest generation and the baby boomers. I kind of envy them! They didn't have to compete with millions of others for a job or anything! If they did something unique there were probably not millions of others doing the same thing.
Anyway, I digress.
Ghost threw in the sixties, which are irrelevant to this thread.
I agree... I envy them as well...there simply was so much more opportunity at that time.
Well, using 1956 as the mid-fifties, sixteen year-olds would have been born around 1940. They were growing up with WWII. Maybe that did something to their collective psyche?
In any case, sex has been happening for a long time. What is really unusual (according to statistics presented in this thread) is that particular cohort was very small. They were in-between the greatest generation and the baby boomers. I kind of envy them! They didn't have to compete with millions of others for a job or anything! If they did something unique there were probably not millions of others doing the same thing.
Anyway, I digress.
Ghost threw in the sixties, which are irrelevant to this thread.
I was thinking 1954-1956, and the birth rates I thought of were mainly between 1937-1939. However, just the same, teenagers in the 1950s did grow up with WWII. I am thinking that some children during that time had fathers who went of to war, some never to return. I also notice that the teenage pregnancy rate increased between 1940-1957. In between this was WWII. That could have had a factor.
Another factor to consider is WHERE did this teenage pregnancies occur? I notice that there were alot of gangs in the inner cities and poor areas, particularly after WWII. I'm guessing teen pregnancy could have worked the same way.
I think the war-era cohort was small because so many men were off at war. Perhaps this is why it seemed like things were better for adults in the 50s. It seems like in the 1960s and 70s, there were more adults and fewer jobs to go around.
I was thinking 1954-1956, and the birth rates I thought of were mainly between 1937-1939. However, just the same, teenagers in the 1950s did grow up with WWII. I am thinking that some children during that time had fathers who went of to war, some never to return. I also notice that the teenage pregnancy rate increased between 1940-1957. In between this was WWII. That could have had a factor.
Another factor to consider is WHERE did this teenage pregnancies occur? I notice that there were alot of gangs in the inner cities and poor areas, particularly after WWII. I'm guessing teen pregnancy could have worked the same way.
I think the war-era cohort was small because so many men were off at war. Perhaps this is why it seemed like things were better for adults in the 50s. It seems like in the 1960s and 70s, there were more adults and fewer jobs to go around.
The increased pregnancy rate for teens between 1940 and 1957 could be interesting. It could be that, because of the war, teens just thought "We better make merry now, because who knows if we'll live past our 20s." (don't know how old you are, mariner, but teens are capable of very dramatic thoughts..lol)
The increased pregnancy rate for teens between 1940 and 1957 could be interesting. It could be that, because of the war, teens just thought "We better make merry now, because who knows if we'll live past our 20s." (don't know how old you are, mariner, but teens are capable of very dramatic thoughts..lol)
I'm 26, and I've never had sex. I think a big part was my upbringing. My father told me some things about teenage pregnancies that scared me, at age 10. He gave me the talk early on, the real version, and then told me sex should be reserved for marriage. I was a dramatic teenager. I was angry alot. I never had sex though. Most women weren't attracted to me, and I was frightened by the idea of having sex(mainly because I watched some friends of mine become pregnant in their teens).
There could have been a "make merry now because who knows if we'll live past our 20s" mentality in those days. It exists now even more so among some teenagers.
But in both 1896 and 1954, families usually stayed together. There was no sky-high divorce rate. The country wasn't in mega-debt. There was no drug epidemic. No AIDS.
That's because divorce was simply not an option for most working class couples. Women had to stay in abusive, unhappy marriages. Gay men were forced to either marry and play the part or be a confirmed bachelor. I don't know about the debt during those periods but drugs were rampant. No, AIDS did not exist at this time.
That's because divorce was simply not an option for most working class couples. Women had to stay in abusive, unhappy marriages. Gay men were forced to either marry and play the part or be a confirmed bachelor. I don't know about the debt during those periods but drugs were rampant. No, AIDS did not exist at this time.
We can concur that AIDS didn't exist. We also know there were other forms of venereal disease, and in particular, syphilis.
Divorce was looked down on for most of 1950s society. If you got divorced, you were made an outcaste. If you were a woman and you got divorced, there were other implications, such as being impoverished. You could still be impoverished from divorce today. However, the likelihood of being poor after a divorce today is much lower than in the 1950s. I know people who are divorced and they aren't suffering any kind of stigma for it.
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