View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. The protocol for going steady was strict and often involved what, according to the author in Chapter 2, "The Economy of Dating”?

2. What control was reduced with the advent of the dating system, according to the author in Chapter 1, "Calling Cards and Money"?

3. According to the author in Chapter 2, "The Economy of Dating,” individuals could start “going steady” at what age following World War II?

4. Ideals of beauty were often set by whom, according to the author in Chapter 3, "The Worth of a Date”?

5. When she appeared on television during her senior year in college, Beth Bailey stated that love was more than what?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did those in the upper classes view the dating culture of the lower classes, according to the author in Chapter 1, "Calling Cards and Money"?

2. Who had the most power and control within the calling system of courtship? How is this role described?

3. What time period does From Front Porch to Back Seat focus on? What is the central focus of the book?

4. 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?

5. How did the importance of female appearance evolve during the twentieth century, according to the author in Chapter 3, "The Worth of a Date"?

6. How was marketing involved in the evolution of women’s idealized beauty in the 1950s and 1960s?

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

8. How did competition on the dance floor evolve after World War II?

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

10. Why was sexual intimacy criticized as a means of human connection, according to the author in the Introduction?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss advertising in the post-World War II era in America. What ideals were promoted to men and to women through advertising at this time? How did marketing and the media impact gender identities? How did the values of men who returned from the war change?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the etiquette of dating and going steady during the 1950s. What tokens were exchanged to symbolize commitment in couples at this time? How important were these tokens? What role did sexual behavior play in this system?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the generational battles which emerged after World War II in America. What caused this divide between generations? How did the conflicts between the young and old affect the culture of dating? How did these conflicts affect the institution of marriage?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 863 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample