However it's possible to divide the conformity into two groups.
I'll start with the people that are meant to be the norm. The suburban families. There was a housewife, and she was never to wear clothes that are too exposing, she had to have meals prepared for when her darling husband came home after work. She would spend all day cleaning and making herself and the house ready for the return of the family. Then there were children. The children were to be seen not heard. They were respectful and never questioned anything they were told to do. Their duty was to go to school and not make a bad name for their family. And of course there was darling hubby. The father figure of the family, his job was to go to work and be the bread winner. And this was the same in every household all over the neighborhood. Life seemed to be forced, and you couldn't really be yourself.
Some people got frustrated with being the same day in and day out, they decided to do something about it. The delinquents were born. Despite trying to be original by rebelling, the delinquents were actually conformists in their own way. They all started to listen to rock music, wear their hair differently then they were "supposed" to and they all took a found liking to leather. They would stay out late and be mischievous, have sex, all acts of a rebel. But the thing is, since they were all doing this... they weren't all that original were they? They became the second group of conformists.
In the 50s there was no escaping conformity. You were either one of the two groups.
I would have hated that, no way to actually express yourself.
I'm happy that I live in the time period I do, because self expression is strongly encouraged.
Links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIDrq2Wc9OM Music video set in the 50's shows the love story of a Greaser.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8kJzBJrOkU This video was shown in class, but it perfectly illustrates the 50s family life.
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