THE STUDENT PROTEST MOVEMENT & COUNTERCULTURE CH. 31.1

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GROWTH OF YOUTH MOVEMENT  1960s youth movement developed that challenged American politics, its social system, & values of the time  Roots in 1950s “beat” movement & baby boom generation (values gap)  Increased # college students

STUDENTS FOR A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY  Students concerned about injustices in political & social issues formed the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).  Views expressed in the 1962 declaration known as the Port Huron Statement written by Tom Hayden  Called for an end to apathy & urged citizens to stop accepting a country run by corporations & big gov.  The Students for a Democratic Society protested the Vietnam War as well as issues of poverty, campus regulations, nuclear power, & racism.

FREE SPEECH MOVEMENT  A group of activists at the University of California at Berkeley, led by Mario Savio, began the Free Speech Movement.  Disgruntled by several practices at the university & staged a sit-in at the administration building  After some 700 protesters were arrested, a campus-wide strike stopped classes for 2 days  The Berkeley revolt became the model for college demonstrations around the country.

COUNTERCULTURE MOVEMENT  The counterculture was a rebellion against the dominant culture in the U.S. It was a reaction to the 1950s stereotype of the man in a grey flannel suit who led a repressed and colorless life (conformity). A number of young Americans wanted to build their own society different from their middle-and- upper-class existence.

COUNTERCULTURE  Some young Americans sought to create their own society.  The counterculture, or hippies, were mostly white youths from middle-and upper-class backgrounds.  Lived a life that promoted flamboyant dress, rock music, drug use, & free & independent living  Rejected materialism & embraced spirituality  A broad range of beliefs–including astrology, magic, Eastern religions, and new forms of Christianity–were popular.

COUNTERCULTURE  Utopian ideal of living, or the ideal of a society that was free, closer to nature, & full of love, empathy, tolerance, & cooperation  Long hair, Native American headbands, shabby jeans, & drugs were common  Communes or group living arrangements in which members shared everything & worked together, were formed as hippies dropped out of society  One of the most popular hippie destinations was the Haight-Ashbury district in San Francisco watch?v=sF__TRVD3dQ

DECLINE OF COUNTERCULTURE  The counterculture declined, as some hippie communities became a place where criminal activity was common.  Drug use declined as the excitement faded and as more young people became addicted or died from overdoses.

IMPACT OF COUNTERCULTURE  The international fashion world looked to the counterculture to create new fashions with more color and comfort.  During the 1960s, the distinction between traditional art & popular art, or pop art, ended.  The new generation of music added to the rift between parents and youth. The Beatles, Bob Dylan, & Janis Joplin & Jimi Hendrix The Beatles, Bob Dylan, & Janis Joplin & Jimi Hendrix

 Mainstream America adopted some of the counterculture ideas. As the initial shock of the counterculture waned, what was once clothing of defiance became mainstream  Pop art took its subject matter from popular culture, using photographs, comics, advertisements, and brand-name products.  Long hair caused many schools to debate over the acceptable length. Eventually, longer hair became generally accepted.  Rock musicians used lyrics to describe the fears and hopes of the new generation. Rock ‘ n ’ roll music was eventually absorbed into the mainstream. A new style of dancing emerged from rock ‘ n ’ roll, in which people danced without partners to stress their individuality.

REVIEW: Student Protest Against Vietnam  Prosperity 1950s  increased # college students  Students concerned about injustices in political & social issues formed the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) & expressed their views in the 1962 declaration known as the Port Huron Statement, where they called for an end to apathy & urged citizens to stop accepting a country run by corporations & big government.  The Students for a Democratic Society protested the Vietnam War as well as issues of poverty, campus regulations, nuclear power, & racism.  A group of activists at the University of California at Berkeley, led by Mario Savio, began the Free Speech Movement. Disgruntled by several practices at the university, they staged a sit-in at the administration building. After some 700 protesters were arrested, a campus-wide strike stopped classes for two days.  The Berkeley revolt became the model for college demonstrations around the country.

REVIEW: Counter-Culture (Hippie) Movement  The counterculture was a rebellion against the dominant culture in the U.S. It was a reaction to the 1950s stereotype of the man in a grey flannel suit who led a repressed and colorless life. A number of young Americans, mostly white, wanted to build their own society different from their middle-and-upper-class existence.  Lived a life that promoted flamboyant dress, rock music, drug use, & free & independent living. Rejected materialism & embraced spirituality. Utopian ideal of living (in communes = group living arrangements in which members shared everything) was free, closer to nature, & full of love, empathy, tolerance, & cooperation. Long hair, Native American headbands, shabby jeans, & drugs were common.  One of the most popular hippie destinations was the Haight-Ashbury district in San Francisco.  Decline of the movement: some hippie communities became a place where criminal activity was common & drug use declined as the excitement faded and as more young people became addicted or died from overdoses.  Impact of the movement: The international fashion world looked to the counterculture to create new fashions with more color and comfort & long hair became generally accepted. Pop art took its subject matter from popular culture, using photographs, comics, advertisements, and brand-name products. Rock ‘n’ roll became mainstream despite causing rift between parents & youth (Beatles, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix). New style of dancing where people danced without partners to stress their individuality.