Post-War Conformity in the 1950s and the Seeds of Change Essay

Post-War Conformity in the 1950s and the Seeds of Change - Essay Example According to my grandfather who is generally quite outgoing even is his current old age, the American society at the time was quite ideal as there were numerous jobs going around and teenagers could be able to land simple jobs such as milking cattle and performing chores and errands to earn extra money to be used in attending the cinema and dances. On the other hand, my reserved grandmother attests to its having been a rather difficult time especially in light of the fact that her family was not particularly well off and had a hard time affording the latest gadgetry and clothing. Although they were not quite well off, my great grandfather struggled to raise his family and was satisfied that he was able to provide them with a house, schooling and education, which caused my grandmother to be particularly proud of him although she at times covetedthe fancy clothing and gadgetry owned by her friends and their families. Having been brought up in a society that sought a high degree of conformity, my grandparents both worked hard toenjoyed an innate sense of security when they bought and owned similar electronics to their neighbors in addition to having a house of considerable size. Both of them attribute this acquired sense of security from the traits that they developed in the highly conformed American society of the 1950s. Week 13 Response: Response on Reform and Revolution in the 1960s Living in the United States in the current day and age, there are relatively very few causes that I would have an inclination to march or protest for. However, the one thing that I happen to be particularly sensitive about generally pertains to terrorism. This is because I happened to loose a number of close family, distant relatives as well as neighbours. Most of my friends can be able to account for at least one family member of close relation that suffered either directly or indirectly primarily as a result of te rrorism. The recent attempts by the United States to engage in a number of wars such as the Iraq and Afghanistan wars has severed to increase the number of families that end up suffering as a result of terrorism. I have had the experience of marching and protesting against a land grabbing case that wanted to grab one of the local playgrounds. I was still a small kid but strongly felt that it was wrong for the field to be grabbed since in my young mind, I would not have a place to go play with my friends or simply hangout. Our parents mobilized us in writing protest letters to the council and this resulted in positive developments as we managed to save our beloved playground. I would never consider engaging myself in beyond peaceful demonstrations as I strongly believe that it generally does not result in any good. I believe that violent demonstrations can at times defeat their purpose as the demonstrators gain a negative image and largely lose any support that they might potentially have accrued. Week 14 Response: Response on Conservatism and Domestic Events My grandfather has always been strongly conservative and is always slow on the uptake of any change to his established way of life. However, having a large number of African American friends, both my grandparents were quite pleased with the results of the civil rights movement in this period of history that caused them to more easily relate with their African American friends. My grandfather is particularly happy with America’s success in the space race but both of my grandparents are however critical negative aspects of this