America in the 20's and 30's

Many issues divided Americans in the 1920s and 1930s. This paper with examine some of these issues, such as dating, youth culture, the influence of Hollywood, the role of the automobile and sexuality. These issues arose during the roaring 20s and the 30s because the young generation started to do things differently than the generation before them. This was seen as rebellious and against the older generation’s morals. One of the issues in dating in the youth culture is petting and necking. Petting and necking mean kissing extensively from the neck and above and petting or fondling each other. The document “Petting and Necking, 1924” talks about a young lady that was at a student conference for college girls. At this conference, they did not advise that girls not take part in these activities but to do it in moderation. It was also stated that girls not go too far. In other words, you can take part in it just know when you are about to go too far. The narrator of the article “Petting and Necking, 1924” talked to several college girls before the conference to answer a few questions she had. One girl she talked to said, “I don’t particularly care to be kissed by some of the fellows I know, but I’d let them do it any time rather than think I wouldn’t dare. As a matter of fact, there are lots of fellows I don’t kiss. It’s the very young kids that never miss a chance.” In other words, many girls take part in petting and necking not because they like it but because if they do not they are afraid others will think badly about them. The girl that said this wanted to be accepted by her peers and by men. Peer pressure essentially effected what girls allowed boys to do with them. Peer pressure has some of the girls that wrote to a newspaper advice column in the article “Young Women Discuss Petting, 1930” confused on how they should feel and what they should do. One girl ask if it is fine that she does not want to kiss any fellow that she would not marry. While