{"product_id":"the-permissive-society-america-1941-1965-a-cultural-history","title":"The Permissive Society: America, 1941-1965 - A Cultural History","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this review of The Permissive Society: America, 1941-1965, the author Alan Petigny offers a corrective to simple periodization by arguing that a liberalizing impulse was already under way in the 1950s. This book is for readers who want a measured, evidence-based account of changing social attitudes between World War II and the mid 1960s, and for students of American cultural history seeking nuance rather than dramatic rupture. The bottom line: it is valuable for understanding how child-rearing, gender roles, attitudes toward alcoholism, sexuality, psychology, and religion shifted gradually, making it a useful single-volume study for courses and informed general readers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eKey Features\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReframes midcentury change:\u003c\/strong\u003e The narrative emphasizes a growing \u003cstrong\u003eliberalizing impulse\u003c\/strong\u003e during the Truman and Eisenhower years rather than treating the 1950s as uniformly conservative.\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSocial themes covered:\u003c\/strong\u003e It traces concrete shifts in \u003cstrong\u003echild-rearing\u003c\/strong\u003e, the status of women, and public attitudes toward alcoholism, offering readable cultural analysis.\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePsychology and religion:\u003c\/strong\u003e The book documents the rising influence of modern psychology and the corresponding decline of religion in many Americans' personal lives.\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBalanced tone:\u003c\/strong\u003e Petigny avoids polemic and provides a tempered interpretation useful for classroom discussion and independent study.\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eScope across decades:\u003c\/strong\u003e By spanning 1941 to 1965, the book connects wartime and postwar developments to the transformations often associated with the 1960s.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWho It's For\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Permissive Society is aimed at undergraduate and graduate students of \u003cstrong\u003eAmerican history\u003c\/strong\u003e, cultural historians, and general readers who want an argument-driven account of social change across the 1950s and early 1960s. Its analytical approach suits syllabus reading, background research for papers, and anyone curious about how everyday moral assumptions evolved in midcentury America.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReaders seeking an exhaustive primary-source compendium, a biography-focused narrative, or a polemical treatment of the era should look elsewhere; this book prioritizes interpretation and synthesis over exhaustive archival citation or combative cultural commentary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003ePros \u0026amp; Cons\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePros\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eOffers a clear, revisionist narrative that highlights gradual \u003cstrong\u003eliberalization\u003c\/strong\u003e rather than abrupt change.\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eConnects multiple social trends-child-rearing, gender roles, alcoholism, sexuality, psychology, and religion-into a cohesive argument.\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eWritten in a balanced, accessible tone suitable for students and informed readers.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCons\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eNot a comprehensive primary-source volume, so scholars seeking exhaustive documentation may need supplemental sources.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTitle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eThe Permissive Society: America, 1941-1965\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAuthor\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAlan Petigny\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSubject\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAmerican cultural and social history\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eChronological scope\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1941 to 1965\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eThemes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eChild-rearing, womens status, alcoholism, sexuality, psychology, religion\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eApproach\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eInterpretive, synthesis of social trends\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eOur Verdict\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Permissive Society is a thoughtful, well-focused study that will repay readers who want to understand how midcentury attitudes softened before the upheavals of the late 1960s. It is good value as a concise interpretive work for courses and informed reading, offering a useful corrective to the idea that the 1950s were uniformly conservative.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes the book argue that the 1950s were liberal?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt does not claim the decade was wholly liberal but argues that a measurable \u003cstrong\u003eliberalizing impulse\u003c\/strong\u003e was emerging across several social areas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs this suitable for classroom use?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes; the books interpretive synthesis and clear thematic structure make it appropriate for undergraduate and graduate courses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it replace primary-source research?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo; the book is best used as an interpretive overview rather than a substitute for archival or primary-source collections.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Alan Petigny","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48198007029979,"sku":"0521888964","price":101.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0724\/1043\/1707\/files\/61g2jLun-RL._SL1000.jpg?v=1769620351","url":"https:\/\/gearmusthave.com\/products\/the-permissive-society-america-1941-1965-a-cultural-history","provider":"GearMustHave","version":"1.0","type":"link"}