By Eleni Papageorgiou,
Tom Wolfe, an American journalist, labeled the 1970s decade as the “Me Decade”. In order to understand the basic characteristics of the specific decade, first we have to go back in time and discover the dominant attitudes, the cultural and political concerns of the previous decades.
After the end of World War II, economic growth in America and Europe was prevalent. People wanted to improve their countries and societies as a whole. The community spirit was more important than the individual one. Citizens were involved in many different kinds of political and cultural movements. The Civil Rights Movement, the movement for women’s rights, protests against the Vietnam War and the Sex Revolution were focal points for many people living in the 1960s. Political protests, radical cultural experiences, struggle for social and political justice, were so important in the 1960s that many of the participants were inevitably getting tired.
The next generation, the Baby Boomers (those born in the decade after World War II), were gradually becoming adults, who had to settle down and raise their own family. But economic growth came to a halt due to various reasons -oil embargos, competition from rising markets like Japan and a rise in the prices for almost all goods. That halt led to unemployment among the youngsters globally. Also, a big part of the world’s population was tired of being involved in big issues. They realized that war, politics and protests could not fix society, so they turned to a more selfish focus on individual well-being. Now people wanted to take care of themselves, seeking comfort in totally different issues.
Since the population was aging, fixing society was not their target anymore, perfecting the world was not part of their everyday routine and lack of social concern was the prevailing attitude. In the 1970s, people turned to themselves, seeking self-indulgence, spiritual renewal and intellectual enlightment. Eastern religions came to the foreground with many people seeking insight through yoga instructors, religious gurus and meditation. Psychotherapy was a common practice, therefore visiting therapists could offer a way-out for all their problems. Also, reading self-help books was something common as well.
Exercising started playing a significant role in everyday life and resulted in becoming a fad. Experts claimed, that jogging and aerobics were crucial for our overall well-being and contribute to longevity.
Another craze that signified the 1970s was fashion; fashion not in the way we used to think about, but fashion to the extreme. Horrific colour combinations, bell-bottoms, hot pants, mood rings, etc. were fads that many people followed but dropped them soon after. Lifestyle was consumption-oriented and despite the high unemployment rates, goods were purchased because they contributed to people’s inner comfort.
Television was the most popular form of entertainment and a TV set -color TV in many cases- was present in almost every house. Dimly, cable TV could be accessed by very few. A multitude of programmes was offered by the broadcasting companies and more and more channels offered shows, situation comedies and detective shows. Sports could be watched-especially by men from the comfort of their sofa.
Music also went through changes in that decade. Disco evolved through funk music and rock whilst the disco craze prevailed. Discos with huge dance floors and disco balls were characterized as a popular form of entertainment in the 1970s.
All the above aspects of everyday life show that the twist to individualism was a trait no one could have even thought before. All the ideals of the years to follow World War II and the priority given to social issues, were winding down in the 1970s. As Marshall McLuhan has claimed, consumer-oriented cultures have given rise to an “immense narcissism” and this is the pathology of our time. Self-fulfillment is not bad as long as it is combined with an interest in bettering society as a whole. Hopefully, there are signs that the new millennium won’t be so self-centered as the “Me Decade” and global altruism will prevail.
References
- Encyclopedia.com, 1970s: The Me Decade, Available here
- Tyler, Imogen, From `The Me Decade’ to `The Me Millennium’ The cultural history of narcissism, International Journal of Cultural Studies, Available here
