Social guidance films constitute a genre of propaganda films attempting to influence children and adults to behave in certain ways. Social guidance films, particularly popular in the mid-20th century, were designed to address various social issues and promote positive behavior among audiences, especially young people. Often produced by government agencies or educational institutions, these films tackled topics such as peer pressure, substance abuse, and moral decision-making, using relatable narratives and characters to convey their messages. Produced by the U.S. government as "attitude-building films" during World War II, the genre grew to be a common source of indoctrination in elementary and high school classrooms in the United States from the late 1940s to the early 1970s. A subset is known as hygiene films addressing mental hygiene and sexual hygiene.

History

Social guidance films were typically produced by educational filmmakers, government agencies, and private organizations, reflecting the postwar anxiety over social change and the desire for conformity in an era of rapid modernization.]]

While many of the films were merely instructional (like 1941's Posture and Exercise, 1949's Posture and Personality and 1952's Duck and Cover), others ended with an invitation for a classroom discussion of the topic (1956's What About Alcoholism?; 1959's What About Prejudice?), Studios such as Coronet films strayed away from voice-over and portrayed their social guidance films by having their protagonist play out real life scenarios as a way to connect with their audience. Often, these films portrayed a life of the "ideal Human", this would fall along the lines of the model of nuclear families. Although sometimes viewed as conservative or reactionary by today's standards, Smith points out that these films were not made by conservatives or reactionaries but instead "by some of the most liberal and progressive-minded people of their time."]]

The goal of social guidance films were to provide guidance for their audience to become adapted into society and fit the mold of societal norms. set in 1957, features a social guidance film-within-a-film titled Atomic Holocaust, the style and tone of which emulate 1952's Duck and Cover.

See also

  • Social problem film
  • Trigger film

References

  • Our Secret Century, a collection of 12 CD-ROMs compiled by film archivist Rick Prelinger
  • Duck and Cover
  • The Prelinger Archives at the Internet Archive
  • AV Geeks at the Internet Archive