Passionless 50s?

In my opinion, it seems like during the 1950’s people were passionless. It seems as though everyone seemed to be relatively content with their life: Suburbia meant people had access to nice shelter they could afford, credit cards increased consumerism and people owned more goods. Because of this, it seems like citizens in the 1950s were quick to adopt the social expectations prescribed to them. Patterson describes this phenomenon in the youth saying, “What the restless young still lacked in the 1950s was the greatly magnified sense of possibility… Instead they encounter still strong cultural norms that prescribed traditional roles.” The rise of TV, which promoted a specific American ideal most likely contributed to this. Once people fulfilled the ideal they saw on TV, I don’t think they had much more they felt like they needed to accomplish in life. I think this lack of passion also contributed to the “identity crisis,” Betty Friedan often mentions in The Feminine Mystique. I think one of the biggest parts of growing up is finding out things you don’t like, things you want to fight for, and/or things you are passionate about. As Patterson describes, excluding African Americans, who fought for equality, people at the time, specifically the youth, weren’t unhappy enough to question, and rebel against, the roles prescribed to them.