American Culture In the 1970s was full of lively people, anti war college campuses, funky clothing, and the latest and greatest fads. In the 1970’s American life differed a great variety from the previous decades. The 70’s became a rough time and a struggle for equality. The 1950s conventional “father knows best” ideas flew out the window, and women, gays, African Americans and other minorities were all fighting for their equal rights. Americans, also protested instead of supported the Vietnam war so back at home there were many protests. Traditional family morals was changed from the 60s with counterculture and conservative populism grew. These conservatives did not approve of the hippies and protestors, and families allowing their children to be apart of this. It was a “New Right” movement and they resisted against parts of the government. They did not want the high taxes, speed limits and policies that helped the environment. In regards to the environmental movement, however, even though the conservatives resisted many other people believed in it. One horrible act of poor environment was the “Love Canal” in New York. A chemical company had dumped their waste in an area. After the area was infected with toxic chemicals, they sold the land to a school district for an extremely low price. The children and families living and attending a school in the area were suffering diseases, or birth affects. They did not know why this was happening because they were unaware of the fact that the plant had dumped the waste there. This showed people that they needed to focus on the importance of the environment for the safety of both the people, and the air and animals. American life seemed more drawn to helping the voiceless (such as the environment), than ever before. There was strong anti-war attitudes going around because of Vietnam. The people in the 1970s were not only tired with the war, but with the economic issues. Teenagers lives in the 1970s were filled with a growth of need of change. They were insistent in taking the world themselves with becoming journalists and strengthening their academics. This was carried on from the 1960s when teenagers first began to speak their mind, protest and support what they wanted to change in the government and around the nation. The trends and fads with clothing also change with the decade. Women wore clothes anywhere between mini skirts, gypsy dress and ankle length grandmother dresses. Both men and women wore bell bottoms. Another thing among men and women were tight hot pants and platform shoes. All the colors were very bright and the fabric polyester was common. The 1970s fashion was similar to the 1960s, except more colorful and exaggerated. The average person in the 1970s had a track suit and pant suit. Women and men had different sorts of sweaters, women had cowl neck and men had v-neck velour ones. Dresses and robes were worn both in the home and outside for a party or going out at night. There were also a variety of styles that did not pertain to clothes, but jewelry and hair. Men had chest hair and sideburns. The most common trend in the 1970s was tight pants with men and women. The clothing overall was free flowing and uncaring. It changed from long to short, but everything had eccentric colors and patterns. Some household toys among children and teenagers included pet rocks, smiley face stickers, lava lamps and mood rings. Another thing that was popular in the 1970s was the Rubik’s cube. One particularly strange fad of the 1970s, was that students and other people would streak through public places, without any worries. The population in the 1970s, was 204,879,000 people in America. In regards to everyday food prices, things such as milk was only 33 cents a qt. Steak was more at $1.30 a pound while bread was only 24 cents for an entire loaf. The music had a big range. There were many disco clubs with the new wave of that sort of funk and soul music. There was also progressive rock, and punk rock. The songs were both rebellious and happy as well as relaxing and dance. Disco dance music was the most easily tied to the decade with songs like “I will survive” from the singer Gloria Gaynor. Progressive rock was another wave of music in that time. This music was made to get points across and had artists like Queen, and songs like “Thick as a Brick”. Punk rock and new wave was upbeat and had a heavy guitar. A popular band from this style of music is the New York Dolls. Funk and soul music progressed from the R&B of the 1960s. Psychedelic sounds were created by artists like; Chaka Khan. Big things happening in music from the 1970s; was also the loss of Elvis and the Beatles. Elvis died in 1977 and the Beatles broke up in 1970. The life expectancy of females was higher than males by almost 7 years. The male life expectancy was only 67 years and the female was nearly 75. The architecture at the time was heading in different directions. There was a modern movement where the architecture was modernized and another movement towards traditional design and humanism. In regards to the literature of the time, the main theme was escaping from spiritual background. There was unrest within the social and artistic ideals. Alienation was another common theme. One of the most popular books of the time that symbolized these ideas was “Theres a Maniac on the Loose Out There” by Kurt Vonnegut who also wrote other novels during the time. There was also a focus on education for everyone. there was an act for Handicapped Children passed in 1975. Everyone promoted thinking for themselves and education. Movies and TV shows of the time showed perfect families, and happy situations that did not show the unrest. One of these shows was the Brady Bunch; airing from 1969 to 1974. It showed a family, that always worked out their problems and bonded together. Some of the most popular movies of the time included; Star Wars which was the most highest grossing movie of all time at that point. There was also, Grease, which showed the 1950s ideals and morals. There was also the creation of the iconic childrens show; Sesame Street along with Happy Days and Saturday Night Live. A problem with American life in this time was the common use of drugs and how it was effecting society. Between 1973 and 1977 the amount of marijuana being used in America doubled to 24 percent. Only a year later a poll was taken and the percent of Americans who felt marijuana was a problem, was a towering 66 percent. Nixon supported the war on drugs especially because of the growth of both marijuana and hard drugs in middle and high school areas. In the 1970s, entertainers were often hooked on cocaine because they found it and considered it as a fashionable trend. .