More on Culture… Subcultures and Countercultures

Subculture A cultural subgroup differentiated by status, ethnic background, residence, religion, or other factors that functionally unify the group and act collectively on each member ◦ “Hicks” as a subculture? ◦ Cliques within the student population as subcultures

Counterculture A culture, especially of young people, with values or lifestyle in opposition to those of the established culture Seeks to change the dominant culture

The 1920s After WWI, the birth of new social, sexual, and musical freedoms produced a countercultural backlash that resulted in the clashing of racial identities, gender roles, and ethnic disturbances ◦ Women asserting independence  “Flappers” ◦ Prohibition and reaction against it ◦ Jazz and racial issues

The 1930s Depression Class war? ◦ Sacco and Vanzetti (anarchy, controversial trial) ◦ Bonnie and Clyde (outlaws) ◦ Woody Guthrie (folk music, revolutionary, ‘this land is your land’)

The 1940s Well…

The 1950s Post WWII Society generally conservative, rigid ◦ Military influence? Cold War beginning? Reactionary movements ◦ Civil rights  Rosa Parks  Malcolm X  Martin Luther King Jr.  Black Panther Party (60s) ◦ The Beat movement

The Beat Movement Jazz Drugs Sexual experimentation Rejection of materialism Key figures ◦ Jack Kerouac (On the Road) ◦ Allen Ginsberg

The 1960s Children who grew up in the repressive 50s react against it Reaction against escalating cold war and Vietnam Women’s liberation movement ◦ Betty Friedan’s Feminine Mystique ◦ “The Pill” and implications

Hippies More drugs ◦ Marijuana ◦ LSD  Dr. Timothy Leary  Performed LSD experiements  Turn on, Tune in, drop out  Ken Kesey  Acid Tests and the Merry Pranksters

Hippies Questioning Authority ◦ “Don’t Trust Anyone Over 30” Anti-war movement ◦ Protests ◦ Draft Dodgers

Music Protest Music ◦ Bob Dylan Psychedelic Music ◦ Jimi Hendrix ◦ The Grateful Dead

The 70s – 80s Not much in terms of counterculture ◦ Reaction against counterculture movement of 60s? LGBT movement ◦ Harvey Milk The Punk Movement ◦ Anti-establishment, anti- authority, etc. ◦ Sex Pistols, Ramones, Clash, Dead Boys

The 1990s Environmentalism Anti-globalization movement ◦ Reaction to America’s foreign policy ◦ WTO/IMF/World Bank Musical background ◦ Punk, Folk ◦ Rage Against the Machine ◦ Grung

The 2000s Reaction to war in Iraq/war on terror/Bush –era policies? What are contemporary counterculture movements? Will we ever see such a massive, relatively uniform counterculture movement, like we did in the 60s, again?