Twentieth-Century Teen Culture by the Decades: A Reference Guide. - Review - book review

Adolescence, Spring, 2001

ROLLIN, Lucy. Twentieth-Century Teen Culture by the Decades: A Reference Guide. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999. 416pp. $59.95 (h).

Decade by decade, this resource offers an overview of all aspects of American teenagers' lives from 1900 to 1999 as they have evolved through the century, from the bobbysoxers of the 1940s, beatniks of the 1950s, and hippies of the 1960s, to the independent and outspoken teens of the 1990s. Using a variety of sources from sociological studies to popular magazines, it describes their home, work, and school lives, patterns of dating and sex, trends in alcohol and drug use, teen tastes in books, music, and movies, and use of slang and fashion. It shows how teens have responded to the political events that have characterized each decade, and demonstrates that the teen violence that seems to characterize the 1990s is not new. Sixty-two illustrations make the personalities, interests, and media of each decade come alive for students of history, literature, and popular culture. Twentieth-Century Teen Culture by the Decades shows how teens lived during each decade and how that decade has influenced teens' lives today .