Question

What new American subculture helped define the 1950s?

Answer 1

It's hard to pick just one.

Explanation:

There were a lot of American sub-cultures in the 1950s that were important. The new phenomenon of massive car-based suburbanization created a set of distinct suburban sub-cultures. Because of bank lending practices, the new suburbs were segregated not just by race but also by religion. Thus suburbs in the 1950s often had distinct sub-cultures of Jewish, Catholic (usually Irish and Italian) and Protestant strains although sharing certain commonalities (for further reading see: The Levittowners; Protestant, Catholic, Jew

Another subculture that was increasingly influential were male Hollywood stars who presented a particular version of masculinity. Rock Hudson, Marlon Brando, and James Dean in particular embodied the new Hollywood leading man that many men tried to emulate. Ironically, all three of these stars were bi or homosexual and many of their roles can be read in complex ways in retrospect.

Third, of course, there were the Beats. Sexual rebels, they were enamored of stereotypes of African American culture they valorized. They would heavily influence the 1960s more than the 50s.

Finally, the West Coast Art scene began making itself felt. Largely made up of veterans who went to art school on the GI Bill, the scene spawned poets, writers, and artists that congregated in San Francisco and Los Angeles who laid the groundwork for both Hollywood's rise of tv culture and the San Francisco scene in the 1960s.