Twentieth Century History Sixties Youth

¶ … Twentieth century history [...] sixties youth rebellion and how it changed the role of young people in society. The 1960s youth rebellion is famous in American history. It created the hippie movement; showed young people could be extremely involved in current world events, and shaped an entire generation. The youth rebellion of the 1960s was one of the most defining moments in American culture, and helped change the face of society. The rebellion of the 60s could be violent, most adults feared it, and it was truly non-conventional. Young people took an active voice in society and the workings of society, and in many ways, they made changes that last until this day.

Why were youth rebelling in that period, e.g., wars, cultural restrictions, etc.

The youth rebellion of the sixties encompassed several important factors. When the rebellion began, it was partly in response to the ongoing war in Vietnam, which many young people were against very strongly. It also embodied the free thinking, free sex, drug culture that grew up around the hippie movement, as a strong rebellion against society and the "older generation," who they felt were uptight and ruining the country. As one historian writes, "The sixties youth revolt was in part about the possibility of redefining 'adulthood' in our society. If a single theme united the otherwise disparate forms of political and cultural protest that characterized the period, it was the romantic belief that the young could make themselves into new persons" (Flacks, and Whalen 2). Young people did not want to be like their parents, and so they adopted lifestyles their parents did not approve of. Thus, some of their rebellion was based on cultural restrictions, which they threw off with abandon, but there was another aspect to the rebellion, and that was the war in Vietnam.

Many of the violent protests that seem to define the 60s were in response to the Vietnam War, which most young people opposed. There were also protests against social practices, such as lack of civil rights for blacks in the South. As two historians note, "The same impulse that led some to volunteer for government-sponsored experiments in social service and community organizing led others to join insurgent movements for civil rights and peace" (Isserman, and Kazin 165). The youth rebellion was varied, which is one of the things that made it unique. Some young people became violent revolutionaries, others disappeared into the countryside to drop out of life. Each was rebelling against areas of society they did not agree with, they simply did it in very different ways.

Just as the rebellion itself was broad and covered many different arenas, manifesting the rebellion took on many shapes as well. Protest marches were some of the most well-known aspects of the rebellion, as youth grouped together and marched in protest of the war, of political decisions, and other topics. Riots sometimes ensued from these protests, and turned violent. There was also radical political action, such as the actions of groups such as the SDS, the Black Panthers, and the Weather Underground clearly indicate. Each was fighting societal wrongs of some sort, and many chose very violent ways of showing their displeasure.

Not all the rebellion was violent, however. Other young people chose instead to drop out of society, "living off the land" in communes or other living arrangements, and creating their own gardens, food, and shelter. They were protesting the materialistic side of society, and they chose to protest it by not participating in a traditional lifestyle. In addition to shunning most material goods, these young people often engaged in drug and alcohol use, and flaunting traditional societal sexual mores. As two other historical writers note, "In the 'underground' newspapers that proliferated in youth communities, one could find guilt-free narratives of erotic experiences and personal ads that either offered or requested partners of every conceivable persuasion" (Isserman, and Kazin 152). Drug use was another way to get "even" with a materialistic and "uptight" society, and the youth movement of the 60s is still remembered largely by its use of drugs - everything from marijuana to LSD and other hallucinogenics.

Another interesting form of manifestation of the rebellion were protest songs, sung primarily by rock and folk bands about the war, political woes, and other issues of the day. Another historian writes, "Protest songs were always a part of American folk music, and showcasing them within the entire folk spectrum gave them a wholesome image. In this all-American guise, folksingers invaded the musical vacuum on college campuses during the late 1950s" (Rodnitzky 105). Music was heard by more people, and appealed to a broader audience, so it brought more people into the rebellion and made the causes the youth were fighting more sympathetic. Many of the musicians understood the power of their music. Historian Rodnitzky continues, "Indeed, in 1964 Peter Yarrow bragged that his trio could 'mobilize the youth of America in a way that nobody else could' and perhaps even sway an election by traveling with a presidential candidate. He added, however, that they were not going to use this power" (Rodnitzky 105). It is interesting to note that musicians and others recognized their power even then, but chose not to use it.

Science and technology were actually the antitheses of the 60s youth rebellion, except for the development of drugs like LSD, most science, for innovation or society's sake, was shunned by the young people. Most of the hippies wanted to live a simpler life, and the less technology they used, the better. They learned how to tie-dye, made their own candles, created macrame art, and generally attempted to live without most science and technology. Even student rebellions were often centered more on university policies and teaching procedures, rather than improving technology or science. In effect, science and technology did not exist for the 60s protesters, even if the radical groups did use some types of weapon technology in their fights and gun battles. Technology was the future, the future was what young people wanted to change, and so, it had no place in their rebellion. Thus, it played a large part in inciting rebellion against it, and the shunning of technologies their parents considered necessities.