Era of Protest Change Movements of the 1960s

Era of Protest & Change Movements of the 1960’s and 1970’s

DO NOW: How do you define counterculture?

Counterculture: (define) • Adopting values that are “counter” to mainstream American culture • “Rebelled” in the following ways (ex. ) – – – – Dress Hair Music Behavior-”sex, drugs, rock – n – roll” Communities Protests Religion (Eastern exploration)

Counterculture or “Hippies” • Questioned authority • Question traditional boundaries • Distrust government • Question and rebel against social norms of their parents generation

Counterculture or “Hippies” • Valued: – Youth- DO NOT TRUST ANYONE OVER 30! – Spontaneity – freedom of expression – Peace, love, happiness – “freer attitude”

• **DO NOT NEED TO COPY** • Percentage of students who agreed with the statement, "The war in Vietnam is pure imperialism" • 1969 16% 1970 41% • Percentage of students calling themselves "radical or far Left" 1968 4% 1969 8% 1970 11%

Visual Comparisons

What events led to the counterculture movement? 1. The “Beat” Movementfreedom from materialism (recall “consumerism” of 1950 s) 2. Civil Rights Movementincreased idea of social & political protest

Answers: 3. Anti-war movement (Vietnam) 4. Baby boom - after WWII the large # of college students alone impacted “social change”

“Hippies” • (Consider) How young people looked was somewhat symbolic of their way of thinking -”non-conformity” • Typical values: – The “trinity”- sex, drugs, rock-n-roll – Peace and love – Freedom – Etc.

Use of drugs • The experimental use of drugs has a significant impact on the counterculture (CC) movement • Timothy Leary – – Harvard researcher – “invented” LSD (acid) – Advocated to “tune in, turn on, drop out” – Idea was-open your mind, experimentation

1967 -“Summer of Love” • San Francisco- about 2, 000 people gathered at Haight Ashbury – hippie movement (“peace & love”) • Very high rates of drug use led to: – 1. Increased crime – 2. Increase in the generation gap – a lack of understanding between older/younger people

Sexual Revolution • What were some of the “traditional restrictions” regarding sexual behavior BEFORE this movement? (think 1950 s)

Sexual Revolution • **One of the strongest indicators of the generation gap. (WHY do you think? ? ? ) – i. e. 2/3 of Americans over 30 reject premarital sex – Under 30 - majority did not – This is a shift from 1950 s

Sexual Revolution A. “reject” traditional family life B. New living patterns (non-nuclear) C. Communes-small communities where people have common interests & share resources

Impact on society, family life, politics, etc. ? ? ? • In 1955 only 6% of white teenage childbearing occurred outside of marriage; today it is 42%. (Impact on family life? ) • US: Teenage Pregnancy Rate, Birth Rate and Abortion Rate 1972 – 2005 « small-m • Trends-discuss sheets/stats.

Impact on society, family life, politics, etc. ? ? ? • Another important impact: • Helped to spark the Environmental Movement • (read Extreme Town examples)

Religion & Spirituality • Recall: “traditional Christian values” – i. e. - up until 1962 school started with a daily prayer. What type of prayer? • Counterculture movement: – Seek “enlightenment” – i. e. – transcendental meditation – Explore – Buddhism, Hindu, Dao, etc. – Idea to live in “Harmony with nature” – like Native Americans

Music & Art • What role does music play in depicting culture? (Think historically & currently) • Music & Art-plays a large role in movement. Why? – Music & Art tend to reflect popular culture (what is going on at the time) – Music themes: protest, anti-war, – **Listen, lyrics, discuss

Music • “Rock & Roll” – increase popularity = changed culture • Rock became “a weapon of cultural revolution” – radical change

• Common Themes of music = – reject traditions – Reject political parties – Protest – Question authority – Distrust government – Freedom – Experimentation – “sex, drugs, rock-n-roll”

Music’s “Evolution” • Early 1960’s vs. late 1960’s = postmovement vs. during movement • Listen to examples: – Beatles- early/late – Beach Boys – Etc.

Woodstock • • • August 15, 16, 17 th 1969 600 acres in Bethel, NY Largest gathering of music in History 3 Days of peace, love, music Almost 500, 000 people watch over 25 bands • Tickets were pre-sold but the directors made it free after 1 st day

Woodstock • Many thought it would be disastrous • It was not – aside from overuse of drugs the festival turned out to be peaceful Impact = • Became the icon of the 1960 s Hippie Counter Culture

• How did the trends of the counterculture movement contribute to its downfall?

Answers • 1. extreme excesses • 2. disillusionment (did it change what they wanted to change? ) • 3. drug addictions • 4. death – drug overdoses, etc. (Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison)

• 5. A 1969 Music Festival – Rolling Stones were getting ready to play -- Hells Angels were hired for “security” -- Black man ended up getting stabbed -- Impact = contradictory to “peace, love” -- People began to view as shallow, self-centered, over indulgent

Overall Impact - examples • Created the “Woodstock Generation” • Growing “rights” revolution • Helped lead to the environmental and other movements • How else might it have impacted the U. S. socially, politically?