The Non-Conforming American – 1955 – Past Daily Reference Room
Click on the link here for Audio Player: The Non-Conforming
American – March 12, 1955 During the era of the 1950s a gradual,
unmistakable undercurrent of social upheaval was starting to
take place. Brought on largely by the Cold War, the threat of
Nuclear annihilation , the stringent social mores and arch
conservatism that swept the country during the Eisenhower years
and the beginnings of protest movements, most notably Civil
Rights and the seismic social upheaval in the form of Rock n’
Roll. All these elements combined to cause some people to
question just what was so important about maintaining
uniformity, achieving status and material wealth; about not
questioning our value system. And so the whole question of non-
conformity became the topic of talk shows and magazine articles.
In short; what did these people want? Who were they? Where did
they come from? Was it a good thing? What exactly was non-
conformity? On this radio program, Conversation