What Was The Impact Of The Counterculture In The 1950's

Counterculture is a way of life and set of attitudes opposed to or at variance with the prevailing social norm. Bob Dylan’s music reflected the values of the counterculture to express the hopes and fears of a new generation. People living in the 1950s were subjected to conformity and behaving according to strict rules without questioning authority; however, the Civil Rights movement began to question the rules of society, specifically segregation, discrimination, and stereotypes. During the 1960s counterculture, people attempted to create new lifestyle that rejected mainstream society. Dylan’s music changed the way people look at American society by defining social issues through his lyrics. His initial goal was for people to achieve self-

Various artists and musicians, such as Bob Dylan criticized American society during this decade because society believed in rules and laws over one’s independence. Men were expected to work; however, a woman's place was assumed to be at home. Also, people were expected to go to church, be patriotic, and work hard under strict ruling without being questioned what an individual really wanted. Historians use the word boom to describe the 1950’s; therefore, the postwar brought enormous advances in science and technology. This resulted in people valuing consumerism and physical materials versus spiritual possession. Between 1954-1968, Rosa Parks, a strong activists of civil rights, fought for African Americans during this time period because an increased number of Americans rebelled against inequality and injustice (History.comStaff 3). This movement fought for equality that oppressed Jim crow laws associated with segregation, discrimination, and

This was seen at Woodstock and therefore, helped hippies come together because they believed in music, peace, and drugs. People also expressed themselves by dressing in recycled clothing that was patched up which shows society was declining both consumerism and social class structure (Appleby 685). As a result, American people were now living in a liberal society. Additionally, he defined political issues about the Vietnam War and Civil Rights through his lyrics. Bob Dylan’s created an anti-war message, specifically targeting the Vietnam War. The music industry was not only for entertainment purposes but it highly impacts society and hatred for Vietnam war because “popular music artists began to record songs that reflected this disapproval and ultimately became a new method of protest” (Hopkins 1). This was depicted through Bob Dylan's lyrics when he recorded, “The Times They Are A Changin’.” The lines, “There’s a battle outside/and it’s ragin’/it’ll soon shake your windows/rattle your walls” (Hopkins 1). Almost everyone disproved the Vietnam war because it was a waste of time and money therefore, “The Times They Are A Changin” served a major impact on people who wanted to protest against the government. Additionally, “Blowin’ in the Wind,” released in