From Front Porch to Back Seat: Courtship in Twentieth-Century America

by Beth L. Bailey

Book Overview

From gentleman callers to big men on campus, from Coke dates to parking, From Front Porch to Back Seat is the vivid history of dating in America. In chronicling a dramatic shift in patterns of courtship between the 1920s and the 1960s, Beth Bailey offers a provocative view of how we sought out mates-and of what accounted for our behavior. More than a quarter-century has passed since the dating system Bailey describes here lost its coherence...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801839351
• ISBN13: 9780801839351
• Release Date: August 1989
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.9" x 8.9"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Informative but it's not light reading.

I read this as part of my regular research for entries that'll be posted on my blog, www.courtshipordating.com. This book, by far, is the most informative and well-researched one yet. As I implied in my Review Title, the book is written in a very academic style and abounds in footnotes.

well executed on an intriguing topic

Bailey does a few things rather well in this book. Courtship and dating makes for an interesting study in the ways in which our culture has changed over the course of the 20th century (although as another reviewer pointed out, an update in which she discusses developments of the 90s would be most welcomed). Her writing is clear, and it's a quick and satisfying read in cultural history. This is one where the title sums up the book nicely, so if you're intrigued, it's probably a good one for you.

A Fascinating Story--But Please, an Updated Version!

I'm a college professor and I use this book in my classes all the time. Students (male and female) love it, and they remember it. Many of them give the book to their parents to read. Bailey is an engaging writer who employs a wide variety of sources to demonstrate the path from calling to dating to going steady, and the changing meanings of those words. An historian, Bailey provides helpful social and cultural contexts. It's useful gender history. But what the book really needs is an update that would take this topic to the present. The Epilogue doesn't explain enough about dating nowadays, and thus the earlier chapters are best.

An Interesting Historical Perspective

Ms Bailey writes of 20th century courtship from the 1920's or so onwards. Discussing those elements that changed social conventions and permissible actions (such as the car) she vividly discusses the evolution of courtship, and with it sexuality throughtout the 20th century. A fun read for kicks, and a fabulous resource for historians researching the evolution in dating.

Why 19th Century Courtship Should be 21st Century Standard!

A must-read for those undertaking courtship! Includes both excellent background, and a fresh perspective. Beth L. Bailey writes: "In contemporary America, living together has become a conventional step in the path to marriage and an acceptable arrangement on its own terms. Sexual intercourse is a conventionally assumed part of long-term relationships (even among teenagers, for better or worse), and a clear possibility on first dates." In addition to covering some of the biblical truths of courtship, Beth L. Bailey takes you on a journey on the not-too-distant history of courtship, how it has changed--and how vastly different it is from the dating 'norm' of today. (Excellent books on this vastly under-written subject also include Elizabeth Elliott's "Quest for Love," and Joshua Harris' "I Kissed Dating Goodbye"). An entertaining & inspiring read--And an excellent gift for young adults.