Counterculture - Research Paper
Counterculture of the Sixties in the USA
Causes and Effects
by Johanna K. Weisz
Preface
If the Sixties was the decade of rebellion in America, the preceding two post-WWII decades were characterized by social conformity and trust in the system. “In that era of general good will and expanding affluence, few Americans doubted the essential goodness of their society” (Haberstam 10).
However, this trust in the system changed radically in the Sixties. Many of the numerous youth born during the post-WWII baby boom became teenagers who questioned the cultural values of their parents and refused to assimilate into the established social and moral system. They created their own counterculture that was in opposition to the established culture of their parents. “At their strongest, the movements of the Sixties amounted to an incomplete Reformation” (Gitlin 22). As Gitlin points out, this “Reformation” did not change society completely. However, the counterculture of the Sixties has made a great impact on society, which is still visible today.
Even if the counterculture was a reaction to the same established culture, it was far from a homogenous movement. It included both radical and peaceful elements. While political activists tried to change the society by radical means (Anderson 217-220), hippies turned away from the established society. They “rejected activism, being almost completely apolitical” (Carnes and Garraty 842).
The counterculture of the Sixties is a huge and complex subject that cannot be covered entirely in this short essay. Hence I will mainly concentrate on the peaceful hippie movement and its manifestations.
Where it started
The hippie counterculture of the Sixties started in San Francisco with a literary group of writers called beatniks or hipsters, including Jack Kerouac, Williams S. Burroughs and
Allan Ginsberg. Beatniks celebrated a hedonistic lifestyle that included drugs and sexual
2
experimentation. “They were
Causes and Effects
by Johanna K. Weisz
Preface
If the Sixties was the decade of rebellion in America, the preceding two post-WWII decades were characterized by social conformity and trust in the system. “In that era of general good will and expanding affluence, few Americans doubted the essential goodness of their society” (Haberstam 10).
However, this trust in the system changed radically in the Sixties. Many of the numerous youth born during the post-WWII baby boom became teenagers who questioned the cultural values of their parents and refused to assimilate into the established social and moral system. They created their own counterculture that was in opposition to the established culture of their parents. “At their strongest, the movements of the Sixties amounted to an incomplete Reformation” (Gitlin 22). As Gitlin points out, this “Reformation” did not change society completely. However, the counterculture of the Sixties has made a great impact on society, which is still visible today.
Even if the counterculture was a reaction to the same established culture, it was far from a homogenous movement. It included both radical and peaceful elements. While political activists tried to change the society by radical means (Anderson 217-220), hippies turned away from the established society. They “rejected activism, being almost completely apolitical” (Carnes and Garraty 842).
The counterculture of the Sixties is a huge and complex subject that cannot be covered entirely in this short essay. Hence I will mainly concentrate on the peaceful hippie movement and its manifestations.
Where it started
The hippie counterculture of the Sixties started in San Francisco with a literary group of writers called beatniks or hipsters, including Jack Kerouac, Williams S. Burroughs and
Allan Ginsberg. Beatniks celebrated a hedonistic lifestyle that included drugs and sexual
2
experimentation. “They were
References: Beidler, Philip D. Scriptures for a Generation. Athens: The University of Georgia Press. 1994. Charters, Ann (ed.). The Portable Sixties Reader. New York: Penguin Group. 2003. Gitlin, Todd. The Sixties: Years of Hope, Days of Rage. New York: Bantam Books. 1992. New York: Villard. 2004. EPUB file. “Golden Age, 1930’s through 1950’s”. Communications History. Federal Communications Commission Haberstam, David. The Fifties. New York: The Random House Publishing Group. 1994. Heimann, Jim (ed.). All-American ADS 60s. Köln: Taschen GmbH. 2003. Patterson, J.T. The Oxford History of the United States. Grand Expectations: The United States, 1945-1974