WEEK 8 TUTORIAL: Dealing with Youth

(3 May – )

Tutorial question

Was the 1950s teenager discovered or invented?

Why was there a baby boom in the 1950s? What did children represent? Why was the fate of young people such a special concern in the 1950s? How did the suburban life and a consumer culture affect the teenage experience? How did the experience of teenagers in the 1950s and 1960s differ from the teenage experiences of their parents and their children? Why was there a 'moral panic' about youth in the 1950s? What was the social impact of television, comics and rock'n'roll? What can historians learn from autobiographical and literary accounts of the teenage years? What kinds of threats did the new teenagers pose to the social fabric?

Essential reading

In addition to the essential reading, research for this topic should involve some oral history (talk to your parents and/or grandparents) and some investigation of the material culture of the teenage years (bring or preferably wear examples to the tutorial). If this is impossible, then read some of the autobiographical literature.

**Finnane M 'Censorship and the child: explaining the comics campaign' Australian Historical Studies 23(92) April 1989 (reprinted in White and Russell (eds) Memories and Dreams)
Johnson L The Modern Girl: Girlhood and growing up Sydney 1993 ch 6

Additional reading

Stratton J The Young Ones: Working-Class Culture, Consumption and the Category of Youth 1992 ch.3
Evans, Raymond ‘"...To Try to Ruin": Rock ‘n’ Roll, Youth Culture and Law ‘n’ Order in Brisbane, 1956-1957’ in John Murphy and Judith Smart (eds) The Forgotten Fifties: Aspects of Australian Society and Culture in the 1950s Melbourne 1997 (special issue of Australian Historical Studies 28(109) October 1997
McQueen H Suburbs of the Sacred Ringwood 1987 pp 6-39
Kociumbas, Jan Australian Childhood: A History Sydney 1997 ch 12

Other:

On youth:

Bell D Generations Melbourne 1988
Biber, Katherine et al (eds) Playing the Man: New Approaches to Masculinity Sydney 1999
Braithwaite, John and Martin Barker ‘Bodgies and Widgies: Folk Devils of the Fifties’ in Paul Wilson and John Braithwaite (eds) Two Faces of Deviance: Crimes of the Powerless and the Powerful Brisbane 1978
Connell W et.al. 12 to 20: Studies of City Youth Sydney 1975
Connell W et.al. Growing Up in an Australian City Melbourne 1957
Davey I 'Growing Up in South Australia' in E Richards (ed) The Flinders History of South Australia: Social History
Dunphy D Cliques, Crowds and Gangs Melbourne 1969
Johnson L 'The teenage girl: the social definition of growing up for young Australian women 1950-1965' History of Education Review 18(1) 1989
Manning, A E The Bodgie: A Study in Psychological Abnormality Sydney 1958Auchmuty R 'The Truth About Sex' in P Spearritt and D Walker (eds) Australian Popular Culture Sydney 1979
McGregor C Profile of Australia Sydney 1966 chs.3, 11
Oddie N & D Spearritt Some Activities of Australian Adolescents Melbourne 1958
Stratton J 'Bodgies and Widgies: Youth Culture in the 1950s', Journal of Australian Studies 15, 1984
Sturma, Michael ‘The Politics of Dancing: When Rock ‘n’ Roll Came to Australia’ Journal of Popular Culture 25(4) Spring 1992
Zion, Lawrence ‘Disposable Icons: Pop Music in Australia 1955-63’ Meanjin 47(2) Winter 1988

Autobiographical/literary responses:

Campion E Rockchoppers: Growing Up Catholic in Australia Melbourne 1982
Carey G & K Lette Puberty Blues 1979
Dick W A Bunch of Ratbags 1965
James C Unreliable Memoirs London 1980
Lord G Growing up Catholic Sydney 1986
Malouf D Johnno St Lucia 1975
Rohan C Down by the Dockside 1962 and The Delinquents 1963
Sayer-Jones M Little Sister Sydney 1988
Williams H My Love Had a Black Speed Stripe Melbourne 1975
Wynhausen, E Manly girls Ringwood 1989

On music and television:

Baker G The Beatles Down Under: The 1964 Australian and New Zealand Tour Sydney 1982
Campbell WJ Television and the Australian adolescent Sydney 1962
Dermody S et.al. (eds) Nellie Melba, Ginger Meggs and Friends Melbourne 1982
Donaldson M et.al. 'Twenty years of rock and roll in Wollongong' Australian Left Review 87 1984
Hall S Supertoy: 20 Years of Australian Television Melbourne 1976
Inglis K 'Press, Radio and Television' in A Curthoys et.al. (eds) Australians Since 1939 Sydney 1987
Rogers B Rock and Roll Australia: The Australian Pop Scene 1954-1964 Melbourne 1975
Taylor K Rock generation: the inside exclusive Melbourne 1970.
*Zion L 'The Sound of "Australian" Music' in V Burgmann & J Lee (eds) Constructing a Culture: A People's History of Australia Since 1788 McPhee Gribble/Penguin Ringwood 1988, also in Meanjin 1988

On schooling:

Hyams B & B Bessant Schools For the People Melbourne 1972
Miller P Long Division: State Schooling in South Australia Adelaide 1986
Connell R et.al. Making the Difference: Schools, Families and Social Division Sydney 1982