Baby-boomers to ‘beanstalkers’: making the modern teenager in post-war Britain

Todd, S. and Young, H. (2012) Baby-boomers to ‘beanstalkers’: making the modern teenager in post-war Britain. Cultural and Social History, 9(3), pp. 451-467. (doi: 10.2752/147800412X13347542916747)

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Abstract

In the 1950s and early 1960s, the British teenager was presented as a symbol of generational rebellion in the popular press, social investigations, and much political debate. We draw on oral histories, newspapers and the archives of prominent social surveys to question this presentation. By examining how working-class teenagers and their parents experienced and remembered the post-war years, we identify a disjuncture between the literature on moral panic and the widespread evidence of intergenerational cooperation between parents and children. Many working-class parents, enjoying newfound economic security, felt able to encourage their children to enjoy more adventurous lives.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:This article is based on research conducted for ESRC project RES -061-24-0032: ‘Living Standards, Social Identities and the Working Class in England, c. 1945–c.1970’.
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Young, Dr Hilary
Authors: Todd, S., and Young, H.
Subjects:D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain
College/School:College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Information Studies
Journal Name:Cultural and Social History
Publisher:Taylor & Francis
ISSN:1478-0038
ISSN (Online):1478-0046

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