24th Annual Student Research Conference
Turning On, Tuning In: The Mobile Radio in Post-War America
James D. Megahan
Dr. David Robinson, Faculty Mentor
Rapid developments in communication technology have been underway for many years, especially since the advent of radio and television. These phenomena have, in many respects, led to increasingly-interconnected national and global societies. Unity, however, has not been the only outcome of these changes; in fact, newly-configured, yet largely distinct social spheres have sometimes emerged. Such transformations can be observed in the United States, for instance, with the proliferation of mobile radios during the mid-twentieth century. This project concentrates on transistor and car radios, their interaction with social forces and trends (such as rock n roll and suburbia), and their influence on American social and cultural boundaries, perhaps most significantly in the emergent youth culture.
Keywords: radio, rock 'n' roll, suburbia, youth culture, transistor, automobiles
Topic(s):History
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 42-4
Location: MG 2001
Time: 3:30