Dating, courtship, going out, going steady — whatever you called it it was a different concept in the s than the internet dating landscape of the 21st century. For the young women of the mid-century courtship and dating was a group affair.
Dating meant hanging out with a boy, having him walk you home, and perhaps a kiss good night. But just as you or I might recount tremendously different dating experiences, so too did the women in this study. Their naivety they often attributed to how little they knew about the opposite sex, expectations around courtship, and most notably their limited knowledge 60s sex and contraception.
These were the young women experiencing the shifting norms of courtship from a strict nuclear s to the era of free love. Experiencing that shift meant parents still expected a polite young man who would ring them for their permission and arrive with a corsage in hand. While pop culture was actually filling cave-like clubs with cigarette smoke, riotous guitar riffs and ever shorter mini skirts.
The 3 Dos (and 3 Don’ts) of Dating in Your 60s
Teens, just entering the world of sex and dating, were confronted with radical new social norms they were not entirely prepared for. Consider this helpful educational video on what to expect when going out to dinner dating your date.
If teens were struggling with the etiquette of how to order their food or whether they could apply powder at the dinner table, the notion of being prepared for what happens when they are cornered in the back seat of a car or empty bedroom after a house party is completely beyond the scope of helpful educational videos or the guidance of a kindly aunt.
Whether going steady with their school sweetheart, dating an older fella from 60s, or juggling a string of suitors; each of these women came read article short when their romantic endeavors resulted in unplanned pregnancies in an era with little support for single mothers and a heavy dose of shame.
Told little or nothing about sex by parents raised with Victorian ideals, these women the have enjoyed the process of getting to know their beaus, but discovered pregnancy was a long and lonely path. Stay tuned as I continue to explore methods of contraception available and the difficult journeys of the ensuing pregnancies. Thannk you The. Have only just found this! Could tell you more! Like Loading Leave a comment Cancel reply. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
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