The 60s Societal Customs and Norms - Essay Example

THE 60’S SOCIETAL CUSTOMS AND NORMS. Introduction According to the article American Cultural History by Goodwin, Susan, and Bradley, the sixties era was regarded “the age of youth,” since it was the period within which seventy million children emerging from the post-war era of baby boom graduated to young adulthood and others became teenagers. The groovy 1990’s, another online article researched by Jessica and Amy, describes hippies as one of this era’s attribute. People underwent a revolution, and no longer conservatives. There was thus a cultural change in the American lifestyle. No one wanted to retain images of the former generations. The evident changes ranged from values, education, laws, lifestyles, and entertainment. Gender Roles. As the article The groovy 1990’s discusses, the 1960’s was a decade in which gender roles were thoroughly questioned. Inspired by the success of the civil rights movement, women in America and elsewhere around the world had set out on a quest to convert the ensuing quest for racial equality to a pursuit for women’s rights. Access to a credit, equal pay, and equal rights amendments were some of the agendas that were being pursued. A notable feature of this era was the escalation in the popularity of the birth control pill. Besides being an affordable tool for curbing unwanted pregnancies, the pill became a symbol of female emancipation. Having acquired unrestricted access to the pill, women had finally managed to gain increased control over their future. Not only did they now have the power to pursue long term jobs, they also had the ability to pursue higher education and compete for careers previously preserved for men. Besides the pill, the rise of feminisms was another notable feature in the fight for a shift in gender roles: Throughout the 1960’s, women groups such as New York Radical Women and the New York Radical Feminists emerged to challenge male supremacy both within the family and the political arena. According to the book The Age of Contradiction, the first two years marked the emergence of the phenomenon, “radical feminist” (“1998 Howard Brick”). Music. Musically, it was a decade characterised by a surge in the celebrity culture and celebrity worship. Taking a departure from earlier decades in which great musicians were merely appreciated, the 1960’s ushered in a new era in which musicians became the ideal representation of success and fame; musicians were now the only standard against which one’s fame could accurately be measured. It was thus a decade in which musicians such as Elvis Presely, Jack Kennedy and Marilyn Munroe were elevated from the status of merely talented individuals to that of legends worshipped by millions. Fueled by the rampant use of drugs, the highly chaotic Acid rock, and the mellower psychedelic rock, became the most prominent music genres of the decade. Twist on the other hand, was the most popular dancing style, and it was speculated that its popularity could be attributed to the fact that the style enabled the masses to release tensions brought about by the cold war. Fashion. The clothes wone in the beginning of the 1960’s were hardly colourful. In reality, they were rather dull attires designed to look better on older people than the younger generation. However, as time went by, boutiques selling cheap and colourful attire for the younger generation began to open up in large cities and shopping centres. It was during this time that mini skirts, fake eye lashes and leather boots became a trendy way of dressing among women. On their part, men swapped their dull outlook of the 1950’s for paisley shirts, high collars, velvet trousers, and regency jackets. In addition, men also began to wear long hair. Politics. The Groovy 1990’s reveals that it is during this era, that the pioneer debate regarding presidential election was shown on a television. The forum revealed a standing tall the then Senator John F. Kennedy, against the so seemed nervous Richard M. Nixon. George, Lipsitz, a reputable culture critic has repeatedly referred to the 1960’s as ‘The Age of the Civil Rights Movement’. In those few words, Lipsitz’s is able to accurately capture the political climate that prevailed in the 1960’s. In the political front, the 1960’s been a decade characterised by endless battles for racial and gender justice. It was a decade in which demonstrations and direct protest were staged everywhere in America. Civil rights activists such as Martin Luther Jr, Malcom X and Jesse Jackson became household names. The civil unrest took an even more volatile turn when the agendas pursued by these men were revised and manipulated to suit other political and social platforms. Collective View on God. Opinions about religion may have differed greatly from individual to individual and from society to society, yet not only did they believe in a supreme God persist through the decade, it did infact acquire a new importance. Having been subjected to major social and political crisis, in addition to witnessing the assassination of notable figures in the society, putting one’s fate in the hands of supernatural God appeared the most sensible thing to do. Religions such as Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam became even more popular, not necessarily that individual merely wanted to join religions, but mainly out of the need to reach out to a supreme God. In the 1965 for instance, the Jesus Movement gain immeasurable popularity in America, as individuals embarked on a quest to gain inner transformation and a sense of togetherness. Free thinking and securalism did also gain their share of followers, yet their popularity could hardly match up with the escalating belief in God. Conclusion The 60’s era has an outstanding position in American history, particularly due to the evident change that occurred within the same period of about ten years. This period reflects a radical happening of cultural and lifestyle changes, as new lifestyles and culture are adopted especially by the youth as the key characters. Some of the key attributes of the newly come lifestyle and culture had new views on gender roles, music, fashion, politics, and view on God, amongst other new perceptions. References: Amy and Jessica. “The Groomy 1960’s”. Retrieved on 17 Nov. 2011 from . Brick, Howard. Age of Contradiction: American Thought and Culture in the 1960s. New York: Twayne, 1998. Goodwin, Susan, and Bradley. “American Cultural History”. 1969. Retrieved on 17 Nov. 2011 from . Read More