Counterculture of the 1960s

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The Counterculture of the 1960s
Modern America is associated with many cultural components, such as philosophy,
religion, civil rights, liberalism, politics, and musical interest. What we don’t seem to
realize is that most of the norms and qualities of our society today trace back to one of the
most influential movements of our time, the counterculture of the 1960s. Prior to the
sixties, American culture was fed the image of the ideal American family: a household
wife that cleaned and took care of the children, a father that would provide for the family,
and a yard with a white picket fence for the kids to play in. People wanted to believe that
by pursuing these government-funded phenomena’s, they would eventually reach a state of
success and happiness, also referred to as the American Dream. What they found instead
were many falsities with this dream, and thus bloomed a mass sub-cultural movement that
changed America forever.
The sixties were an exciting, turbulent time of great social and technological change. For
instance, assassination, bizarre fashions, new musical styles, women’s liberation, peace
marches, civil rights, and individuality all started being seen in a new perspective
(Cedarville). The baby boomers, a product of the optimism following the World War II
victory, grew as an innovative culture that governed individuality and saw a liberal view to
our conformist society. Prior to the sixties, there were a vast number of social issues, for
instance concerning feminism, civil rights, activism, and sexuality. Women were not
allowed in the workplace, gays and lesbians were discriminated and restricted from
marriage, blacks were receiving unfair treatment, and people started questioning the
conservative beliefs of the adult world (Cedarville). In response, an urge to rebel surfaced
among the youth and a revolution blossomed. A new form of activism was being expressed
for the first time. In result to these protests by blacks, women, and the youth, people
slowly started to gain their rights and women began enrolling in colleges and engaging in
jobs. African Americans were fighting to end segregation and hope was starting to fill the
atmosphere. Kids started dropping out of school to follow this new rebellious lifestyle.
Drug culture was on the rise, the music scene exploded, and people started coming
together to promote a happier world. Groups of “hippies" began living communally in
suburbs such as San Francisco and Greenwich Village in attempt to escape the turbulent
everyday life they were living. The Counterculture of the 1960’s catalyzed a series of
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