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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to the author in Chapter 2, "The Economy of Dating,” many treated going steady as what?

2. The controversy that Beth Bailey encountered when she appeared on television in college was really about what?

3. Who does the author say gentlemen callers left their cards with in Chapter 1, "Calling Cards and Money"?

4. According to the author in Chapter 2, "The Economy of Dating,” after World War II, what became considered a rude behavior?

5. The presence of what greatly accelerated the system of dating, according to the author in Chapter 1, "Calling Cards and Money"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did the emergence of dating change the values of consumption, according to the author in the Introduction?

2. What system of courtship dominated the American lifestyle prior to the mid-1920s? How did dating change this system?

3. How did the demographics of the sexes change during World War II? How did this affect courtship?

4. What subject did Beth Bailey discuss on a talk show in the 1970s? On what show did she appear?

5. At what settings did the system of dating originate? How did this system spread?

6. How was the system of dating perceived in the 1950s? What was the basis of the dating system?

7. How did American men view their coeds on college campuses after returning from World War II?

8. What role did money have in American dating when it emerged? How was a date defined at this time, according to the author in Chapter 3, "The Worth of a Date"?

9. How does the author describe the process of a young woman’s coming of age in accepting callers in Chapter 1, "Calling Cards and Money"?

10. How does the author describe the costs of courtship in the early days of the dating system? What “special dates” could incur even greater costs?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the objectification of men and women in the 1950s. What were presented as “ideals” in the sexes during this time period? How did these ideals differ from perceptions prior to World War II? What role did American consumption play in this change?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the origins, history, and evolution of the beauty industry in the United States. Prior to World War II, how was beauty marketed in the U.S.? How did ideals change for female beauty following the war? How was beauty depicted as a commodity to be purchased and sold?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the subversion of women’s rights during the emergence of the dating system. Why were women often blamed in the case of rapes or assaults? How did this impact women’s perceptions of themselves and of men? How did the media reinforce this perception?

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