The main idea here is to investigate effects of the Cold War on American culture. During the 1950's, the Cold War, a post-WWII state of political and military tension, included the nuclear arms race between America and the U.S.S.R. (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, a.k.a. Soviet Union). Capitalist America feared the "savagery" of Soviet communism. To distinguish themselves from the Soviets, Americans engineered an idealistic culture in which early television shows such as "I Love Lucy" and "Leave it to Beaver" were heavily influenced by anti-Soviet stereotypes. If the Soviets did something, Americans did the opposite. For example, if the Soviets equalized gender roles in the family, then Americans would define their own familial gender roles even more heavily. You can find lots of stereotypical examples of the '50s on-line.
Catcher in the Rye was controversial because it revealed the darker side of post-WWII culture. Due to the heavy use of cursing, sexual references, and many other allusions that defied the '50s stereotypes, Catcher seemed a potential threat to children's innocence, as well as anti-American media. (The word "goddam" is liberally used throughout the book, starting on the FIRST PAGE.) In truth, the stereotypes of the '50s only applied to the upper crust of society: the first- and upper-middle-classes. One of the references in the book is that Holden comes from an upper-middle-family, so he is able to attend Pencey Prep despite his terrible grades and his school status as a dropout, while poorer students who worked much harder and would have made better use of the Pencey Prep accommodations were probably not admitted because their socioeconomic status did not validate the anti-Soviet images of America.
I hope that I am not too late!