Nuclear Families for the Nuclear Age: Disney's Part in Creating Gender Roles in the 1950s

Lecture Center 19

The 1950s was a revolutionary period for American youth culture. The Disney Company played an important role in forming and conveying a new image and set of ideals associated with childhood. My paper examines the Disney Company’s messages about growing up, in particular, the gendered expectations surrounding love, that revolutionized the way Americans viewed family life. For both ideological and business reasons, Disney promoted an idealized concept of the nuclear family to children. My paper pays close attention to the conversation occurring between Disney and the American public by analyzing both 1950s Disney storylines, disseminated in multiple mediums such as movies, toys, books, and the public’s reactions to them. My paper presents its findings in three main sections: parenting and growing up, love and dating, and marketing strategies and public reaction. Previous scholarship about Disney has tended to focus only on Disney movies. By comparing multiple media for their message, my paper allows for a greater understanding of the reciprocal impact of Disney and the American public. And, as anyone with children, or who was one in the twenty-first century knows, the conversation between Disney and the American public is still going strong.