By the 1960s, the front wave of post-WWII baby-boomers reached their early to late teen years and became more visible and vocal in society. At this time, these baby-boomers started to reject some of the values and norms that were upheld by the previous generations. This became known as the counterculture movement, as young people bluntly expressed values and beliefs which are opposite of societal norms. They wanted to set themselves apart from the conventional suburban culture their parents were a part of. Many of them became political activists and were the forces behind political movements for social issues such as civil rights for disadvantaged groups (for example racial minorities, gay and lesbian communities), and antiwar, especially the …show more content…
Many citizens in California were disgusted by the conditions of an empty parking lot on the campus of the University of California. The parking lot was filled with demolished buildings, and was subsequently ignored by the University. It became an eyesore for the neighbourhood. Citizens, including hippies, took matters into their own hands and planted trees, flowers, and grass in an attempted to convert the lot into a park, which they named People’s Park. However, the authorities were displeased at this form of radical political activism, and on May 15, 1969, a major confrontation occurred when Governor Ronald Reagan ordered the park to be destroyed. Riots soon followed as students protected the park. Things escalated from there as the protest turned violent, and society’s attitude towards hippie culture grew progressively negative. This gap between the public and hippies only widened. In August 1969, about 500,000 people attended the Woodstock Music and Art Fair in Bethel, New York. Bands at the event included Janis Joplin, Carlos Santana, The Who, and Jimi Hendrix. There, members of the mainstream public witnessed drug-using hippies exhibiting inappropriate behaviour. Moreover, in that same month, Charles Manson, who was a former Haight-Ashbury resident, and his drug-crazed hippie “followers”, committed the murder of Sharon Tate (and her unborn baby), and Leno and Rosemary LeBianca. By 1970, the hippie movement began to diminish. Several hippie mega-stars, such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison, all overdosed on drugs. The Charles Manson murders also contributed to the negative public perception of hippie culture. Soon, hippies were being physically attacked on the streets by members of other youth
The emergence of the American counter culture in the 1960s was directly connected to the youth of the generation. They vehemently opposed fundamental economic, social, and political doctrines, which they believed previous generations of Americans blindly accepted. The anti-establishment crusade of the counter culture created a Civil War like divide with in the country between traditionalist and reformist. Because the cultural movement was led by young people who opposed authority, traditionalist belittled reformist by attaching a stigma of rebellious adolescent behavior to their cause. Traditionalist ignored the core message of social
The 1950s saw a period of extensive contentment within postwar America. A majority of the population adapted to the modern suburban lifestyle that emerged within this time period. They bought houses, started families, got steady jobs, and watched the television while complacently submitting to the government. Although fairly monotonous, this sort of lifestyle was safe and secure many Americans were ready to sacrifice individuality for a sense of comfort. There was a minority, however, that did not quite accept this conservative conformity that had swept across the nation; some of these people took the shape of artists and writers. During the 1950s, what became known as the "Beat Generation" inspired the challenging of and rebelling against conventional America.
As the 1950’s rolled along and the 1960’s came into effect, the world was thrown into a topspin that would soon define every generation of youths. As the trends changed and the music got more complex a deeper metamorphosis was taking place inside every city and every person. To develop a counterculture in the 1960’s there had to be new ideas circulating that were counter-norm. These ideas were not developed right away for any one reason, though. Just like the times, the causes for this counter-culture were far more complex than anyone had seen before in the 20th century. Some could say it was because of a civil rights call or say it was because of the drugs, but I just don’t know if anyone could really pin it to one key cause.
American society and culture experienced an awakening during the 1960s as a result of the diverse civil rights, economic, and political issues it was faced with. At the center of this revolution was the American hippie, the most peculiar and highly influential figure of the time period. Hippies were vital to the American counterculture, fueling a movement to expand awareness and stretch accepted values. The hippies’ solutions to the problems of institutionalized American society were to either participate in mass protests with their alternative lifestyles and radical beliefs or drop out of society completely. The government and the older generations could not understand their way of life.
The 60s was the period of time when the baby boomers began to grow up and supplement their own ideas. The post World War II Baby Boom created 70 million teenagers for the sixties. This youth swayed fashion into their own favor by moving away from the conservative fifties. Also the fads and the politics of the decade were also influenced by the new generation.
The movement that began during the counterculture era in the 1960s, also known as the youth movement, rebelled against the conformity of American life. The main goal the hippie movement was trying to accomplish was being able change views and ideas politically, socially, and culturally. However, they mainly aimed at changing cultural points and everyday values. The movement started after the assassination of President Kennedy, led into protesting against the Vietnam War, civil rights movement, usage of psychoactive drugs, sexual liberation, a new taste in music, such as the rock genre from bands like The Beatles, and more.
With a country in shambles as a result of the Vietnam War, thousands of young men and women took their stand through rallies, protests, and concerts. A large number of young Americans opposed the war; with a common feeling of anti-war, thousands of youths united as one. This new culture of opposition spread like wild fire with alternative lifestyles blossoming, people coming together and reviving their communal efforts, demonstrated in the Woodstock Art and Music festival. The use of drugs, mainly marijuana, became a staple in the community of anti-war youths. The countercultures’ radical views and actions caused American society to turn its head and look to the young. They set themselves out as a group and were going to stand up for their rights as well as the rights of mankind.
During the sixties, Americans saw the rise of the counterculture. The counterculture, which was a group of movements focused on achieving personal and cultural liberation, was embraced by the decade’s young Americans. Because many Americans were members of the different movements in the counterculture, the counterculture influenced American society. As a result of the achievements the counterculture movements made, the United States in the 1960s became a more open, more tolerant, and freer country. One of the most powerful counterculture movements in the sixties was the civil rights movement.
Throughout history, music have defined or depicted the culture and social events in America. Music has constantly played an important role in constituting American culture, where people have expressed themselves through music during flourishing and turbulent times. In the 1930’s, Swing music created a platform for audiences to vent their emotions in the midst of Great Depression and political unrest. Such strong relationship between music and culture can be seen throughout history, especially in the sixties.
The Sixties Exposed in Takin' it to the Streets and The Dharma Bums. One cannot undertake any study of the 1960s in America without hearing about the struggles for social change. From civil rights to freedom of speech, civil disobedience and nonviolent protest became a central part of the sixties culture, albeit representative of only a small portion of the population. As Mario Savio, a Free Speech Movement (FSM) leader, wrote in an essay in 1964: "The most exciting things going on in America today are movements to change America" ("Takin' it to the Streets," 115). His essay is critical of those that maintain the status quo and oppose change in America.
Rainbow colored dancers, and long haired men crowd the streets of Haight Ashbury, San Francisco. It is the 1960’s, and the Hippie movement is in full swing. Not only are the Hippies rallying together, but three other groups are on the scene in the 60’s. The Youth International Party (Yippies), the Military movement, and the Civil Rights movement are all competing for attention. In The 60’s movie presented by NBC, all four movements are broken down and portrayed in four main characters. A desire for change motivates the characters throughout the movie.
The 1960 and 70s were a time of controversy in many aspects of the world including the ongoing movements including the Vietnam War and Civil Rights movement. These incidents along with others are what began to affect the American baby-boomer generation of the time; their exposure to new concepts in college classes had them questioning what they were being taught and exploring their freedom. College became a way for individuals to escape conformity and provided a forum to openly discuss topics including politics, racism, inequality, and more that they were unable to discuss outside of their safe space. This newfound freedom of speech amongst people caused the rise of counterculture. American counterculture was essentially a revolution led by
The Hippie Movement changed the politics and the culture in America in the 1960s. When the nineteen fifties turned into the nineteen sixties, not much had changed, people were still extremely patriotic, the society of America seemed to work together, and the youth of America did not have much to worry about, except for how fast their car went or what kind of outfit they should wear to the Prom. After 1963, things started to slowly change in how America viewed its politics, culture, and social beliefs, and the group that was in charge of this change seemed to be the youth of America. The Civil Rights Movement, President Kennedy’s death, new music, the birth control pill, the growing illegal drug market, and the Vietnam War seemed to blend together to form a new counterculture in America, the hippie.
The Counterculture movement began in 1964, when North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacked two U.S. destroyers. President Johnson ordered the retaliatory bombing of military targets in North Vietnam (Vietnam War Protests). A few months later, people began to question the rationale of fighting the war. People questioned joining the war in Vietnam due to our position in the Cold War. Both America and the Soviets had nuclear weapons, but neither country could afford an all out war. By starting another war with Vietnam that would mean placing more stress on the military forces. With two wars going on, that would require more man power. This problem introduced the draft. Many people of the counterculture movement opposed this, because they didn’t believe in fighting in a war that they didn’t support. Young men tore up their draft cards, or signed up as conscientious objectors. A conscientious objector is someone who doesn...
The sixties was a decade of liberation and revolution, a time of great change and exciting exploration for the generations to come. It was a time of anti-war protests, free love, sit-ins, naked hippie chicks and mind-altering drugs. In big cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Paris, there was a passionate exchange of ideas, fiery protests against the Vietnam War, and a time for love, peace and equality. The coming together of like-minded people from around the world was spontaneous and unstoppable. This group of people, which included writers, musicians, thinkers and tokers, came to be known as the popular counterculture, better known as hippies. The dawning of the Age of Aquarius in the late sixties was more than just a musical orgy. It was a time of spiritual missions to fight for change and everything they believed in. Freedom, love, justice, equality and peace were at the very forefront of this movement (West, 2008). Some wore beads. Some had long hair. Some wore tie-dye and others wore turtle-neck sweaters. The Hippie generation was a wild bunch, to say the least, that opened the cookie jar of possibilities politically, sexually, spiritually and socially to forever be known as one of the most memorable social movements of all time (Hippie Generation, 2003).