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Throughout the 1950’s, the Cold War had an unexpected impact on the lives of many Americans. This impact affected most aspects of society, but especially cultural and social aspects, such as Civil Rights, education, and the media. Having been restricted, these stolen liberties were a clear depiction of American skepticism at the time. Therefore, most citizens definitely lived in an era of social complacency and intellectual darkness, which perhaps marks the beginning of privacy issues in the United States. Social complacency is the sense of satisfaction one has for their state of being, while intellectual darkness describes a loss of educational However, social complacency can often be forced onto a people by the societal or governmental standards.

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This shows how even though by law blacks and whites were considered equal, the African-American community was still discriminated against and considered “less than” the Anglo-Saxon race. Furthermore, African-American citizens were trapped and intimidated in a time of social complacency that shaped their everyday lives until the Cold War terminated. Many African-Americans chose to not protest, because they feared the "implications by association" that may have sparked due to the strong contempt towards Communism (John Stanley). Nevertheless, great steps towards total equality were still accomplished during this time period.

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This picture depicts the attitude that whites had towards foreigners during the 1950s. The sign suggests that African-Americans and Mexican-Americans were comparable to dogs. In doing so, the sign perhaps gave these two ethnicities the idea that their ideas and opinions about politics, the scientific field, etc. were not taken into consideration. This demonstrates why many minorities may be at a lower advantage nowadays; that is, the Cold War hindered almost all progress for these people and molded the social and cultural customs that defined the complacency experienced throughout America during this era.

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This vitamin ad portrays the idea that women work in the home for their husbands and that their duty is to look pretty while doing so. Furthermore, this perpetuates the idea that women aren’t supposed to seek jobs outside the home, which limits their ability to gain rights in the United States at the time. It could be argued that the Cold War actually delayed the achievement of more equal rights among different genders and instead lived in a life of complacency, as stay-at-home moms.

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This advertisement appeals to women who do not think that they need the right to vote. The women writing this tell others that they have a place at home and are not needed in politics. It shows how there were different perspectives among women regarding what was best for them and what they deserved. This demonstrates that the Cold War was an era of intellectual darkness because women themselves believed they did not have a place in every area of life, like voting. Furthermore, women were perpetually stuck in this phase of social complacency, which in some cases was not by choice.

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As the Cold War progressed, the government had increasingly supervised activity in schools and universities in the United States. By doing so, the government wanted to contain Communism and to ensure that the ideology wouldn't affect the democracy and capitalism that ran the country. Professors and teachers were "dismissed from university and college posts" if they were suspected or accused of any association with the Communist Party of the United States of America (John Stanley). Moreover, certain curricula were restricted from being taught, which exposes a gloomy nature of America at the time. The limitations of education exacerbated a sense of intellectual darkness across many American educators, scholars, and students, which may have delayed the scholastic reputation of the United States. Although, on the other hand, there were others that thought these actions were necessary in order to prevent Communism from causing instability in the land of the free, thereby justifying these limitations to some extent.

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The media, more specifically television, gained extreme popularity during the 1950s and 1960s. More and more news broadcasters began to sprout as a result of the gained American interest in television. Not only does television contribute to the cultural aspects that still define our country today, but also contributes to the influential way of diffusing information via the news outlet. Furthermore, many politicians and famous actors/actresses were hosts of these news channels, such as ABC, that allowed people to obtain a platform in order to spread their ideas and opinions. The government also used this way of communicating , which "influenced public attitudes" (Encyclopedia of the New American Nation). For example, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, President Kennedy was able to keep the American population informed about the happenings during the frightful time. However, the only downside to this access of information was that it was very one-sided, which is even reflected today in many news channels. These one-sided news channels restricted the idea of outside and creative intellectual thought and reflection regarding an issue, especially Communism in the United States. Therefore, this intellectual darkness forced many citizens into social complacency, because they were practically being brainwashed by the media.

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The Cold War is a great source to be examined for its limitations of intellectual thought and social complacency. These two ideas of intellectual darkness and social complacency shaped the daily lives of many Americans and resonate into modern days with the Patriot Act and other legislation. The government skepticism of the era is highly reflective through the actions taken. The shift in media, education, and Civil Rights demonstrates how the United States made an effort to contain the Communist ideology from threatening democratic and capitalistic thought. In summary, the Cold War restricted many social and cultural features of society during this time frame, which shaped the lifestyle of many Americans.

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http://social.rollins.edu/wpsites/thirdsight/2016/11/21/racial-segregation-1950s-and-today/

https://livingnewdeal.org/tag/jim-crow-and-the-new-deal/

http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/O-W/Television-Tv-news-and-the-early-cold-war.html

http://americanwomen20century.weebly.com/1950-1970.html

https://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2012/11/vote-no-on-womens-suffrage-bizarre-reasons-for-not-letting-women-vote/264639/

History for the IB Diploma: The Cold War and America by John Stanley