Would anyone be comfortable answering a few questions about social change during your lifetime?

Question

This may be the wrong forum for this but I thought I'd give it a try. I am working on a Sociology project that requires me to ask a few simple questions of people over the age of 50 to get a better understanding of social change in America over the last few generations. If anyone is interested please let me know, it would be much appreciated and would only take a few minutes. Thanks!

Sorry, I didn't anticipate on many, if anyone, wanting to answer so I didn't post the questions here. I will go ahead now and will gladly read through everyone's responses. They will be greatly appreciated!

What is your age? (Can be ambiguous if you want i.e. 50s, 60s, etc.)

What do you feel are the most significant social changes you've seen in the course of your lifetime?

How did these changes impact your lives directly?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Yeah, I'd be interested in this myself . . . and I'm in my late 20s.
I think it has a lot to do with one's attitude most of all.
Thank you for asking.

Answer 2

I would be very comfortable helping you out - I am 57 and grew up in South Alabama - George Wallace's Alabama and boy have I seen a lot of social changes - most for the good. My e-mail is this name at yahoo feel free to contact me I'd be happy to help - kathy

Answer 3

I'm not American but I have lived in Africa, Europe AND now wonderful Australia. I'm 61 yrs old.
(1) attitude to young people has changed
1950's children should be "seen and not heard'
1950's no children's rights
1950's - a good smack will do no harm. In school one could get a caning on hand or bottom.
1950's "What's a pedophile Oh old uncle Fred does tend to touch the little girls. Keep THEM away. He doesn't mean any harm. It's natural isn't it?"
1950' items for young people were few. Youth music was a new phenomen, Youth fashion commented on in disparidging ways. Toys were similar to toys of previous generations.
(2) Work attitude
1950's Boys had to work. Schools such as mine in the 1960's were pioneers when they told us girls that we could work AND marry AND have children.
You had one job for life.
The boss was the boss was the boss. Trade Unions had begun before WW2 but were only just beginning to have political influence.
You had a reason to do a job that was not usually money. For example because 'Dad, Grandad did it'; because "it would help people'; because 'I'd do it well' because 'It's new and will be important in the future'. Yes we wanted the money but it was rude to mention that.
(3) Technology I'm sure you know about it but it was the size that was new. Granny's radio was a big piece of furniture but my transistor radio could be hand held and the strap put over my shoulder. What freedom that gave me.
(4) Race religion.
Religion -you could be Baptist, Quaker, Catholic but of course you were Christian the rest were pagans
I'd been a little girl in Kenya, Africa. When in England I thought I was black (Dad gently showed me my speckldy pink/cream brown freckeld pale skin) but I played with the children who looked like Kenyans. I heard what they put up with as normal part of life.
When I was 18 my father insisted I spend some Sabbath days with a Jewish family. The mother was an Austwich survivor and told her tale with embarassment. Even in the 60's being a Jew could be difficult. My father wanted me to know.
(5) Society
Perhaps it was just my groups but young people worried and cared. We campaigned, wrote letters, marched, or at least wore our badges. We watched programmes about nuclear war, we debated it in class, we mostly believed such a thing would happen in our life-time. [ so we felt 'what the heck make love not war']. We all knew some-one who was going to go and help over-seas in poor countries. We annoyed our teachers by bringing up topics about sexism, racism, abuse etc.. Nice grown-ups would talk about these things, say how nice it was that young people cared but the war had affected what their generation could do.
(4) Medicine
Your heart stopped - you died
Ilness was frightening.
You were expected to be brave. After all in the war your parents had to suffer so 'Chin up, don't cry'.
Insecticides were wonderful and words such as conservation and environment either were not in dictionaries or meant some-thing else (find a dictionary from the 1950's and look them up.
BABIES, if you couldn't have them it was just sad. My Uncle John gave permission for the doctors Steptoe and Edwards to use the laboratory, my uncle was in charge of, when Oxford, London and other hospitals had refused the doctors permission. So I.V.F. began at Oldham hospital, Lancashire England. Uncle John was considered strange
SMOKING every one did it. Stars in movies smoked, politicians ( remember Churchill's cigar) smoked. It was cool to smoke. Then came my father, a doctor in preventative medicine he began the 2nd non-smoking campaign in the world AND he was the first (and bravest) doctor to go on television and publically say smoking caused empyhasemia and was 80% cause of cancer. It snow-balled after that but the cigarette companies targeted Dad
Life is very different. Not just in new technologies, after all amazing new inventions such as cars etc happened in my Granny's life.
It was the attitudes to people that changed, the increase in the rights of individuals. Lincoln had freed slaves but in England we were amazed and in some cases excited that people like President Kennedy wanted more for coloured peoples.
Oh and when I was a teenager we got the biggest freedom of all when that first 'Sputnik' went into space and freed man to one day leave this Earth.

Answer 4

Gee if you had listed them here I would have been glad to answer them. :: Divorce barley here off Taboo!!!!
More stay at home Moms
Family's actually enjoyed each other
smoking, drinking, not known to be
a health hazard YET
You get the picture. Good luck with survey

Answer 5

I'm not putting my email on here and you don't accept emails, but my mother said she'd answer your questions. Don't know how we'll connect, though. Seems like you didn't think this through very well...

Answer 6

So close, I'm 48 and was so ready to rip off some answers.

Answer 7

Email me (click on my name).

Answer 8

email me

Answer 9

aaaaa

Answer 10

[e-mail]