1950s: There is a growing concern about the misuse and abuse of language, particularly as an instrument of propaganda. Words are used to sway public and political opinion, particularly by the powers waging the Cold War. As communication technology advances, concerns arise over the negative effects on the human mind. Some believe that media advances make a sort of massive brain washing possible, a danger reflected in both nonfiction and fictional works, including George Orwell's 1984 (1949) and Vance Packard's The Hidden Persuaders (1957).

Today: Many critics argue that in stressing the need for "political correctness" the media and various public agencies are currently engaged in social engineering through the manipulation of language, even if the aim, multi-cultural understanding and tolerance, is praiseworthy.

1950s: In the traditional stereotype of the middle-class family, the roles of husband and wife are primarily limited to the husband as "bread winner...