Laura Di Spurio

Radiorrhea: An examination of mid-century youth and radio culture in Belgian pedagogies of leisure, 1945–1965

AbstractThe article examines the various discourses, engaged in by social observers and experts alike, on the relationship between radio, music, and youth during the 1950s and 60s. Through articles, inquiries, and surveys led by Belgian pedagogues, psychologists, educators, social workers, and journalists, the author moves from the topic of radio to the larger subject of leisure, analysing the issues raised by these social actors regarding the way in which adolescents of the era listened to radio, music, and sound in general. By analysing these discussions, we see that several problems with the radio emerge: first, the issue of distracted listening; second, the issue with noise; and third, the issue with modern music. These concerns reveal that there existed, from an adult sociocultural perspective, a “good” way of listening to radio and “good” genres of music to appreciate. In conclusion, the author explains how the “pedagogy of leisure” was effectively a means for society to control and domesticate the ...