counterculture and other protest movements. the counterculture aka- “hippies” origins in the...
TRANSCRIPT
COUNTERCULTURE And Other Protest Movements
THE COUNTERCULTURE• AKA- “Hippies”
• Origins in the social and political events of the 1950’s• The Beat Movement emphasized
freedom from materialism and importance of personal experience
• Civil Rights Movement introduced the idea of social and political protest and the anti-war movement
• Movements challenged people to question traditional boundaries and cultural norms • Also heightened distrust of
authority
• Made up of “Baby Boomers”
THE COUNTERCULTURE
• Values: youth, spontaneity, and freedom of expression
• Promoted peace, love, and freedom
• Experimented with new styles of dress and music
• Had freer attitudes toward sex and drugs
TRINITY OF COUNTERCULTURE
• Sex, Drugs, and Rock n’ Roll
• Music, art, movies, literature geared toward the youth reflected their sense of rebellion
• Sexual Revolution- called for a separation from traditional family life• Communes- small communities
where people shared common interests and resources
GENERATION GAP• Ideals and values were so different between parents and young
people of the baby boom generation
• Generation Gap- lack of understanding and communication between older and younger generations
• One poll showed that majority of people over 30 opposed premarital sex; the majority of people under 29 did not
HAIGHT-ASHBURY
• District in San Francisco
• Became a center of counterculture community
• Speakers like Timothy Leary said that drugs could free the mind and encouraged young people to “tune in”, “turn on”, and “drop out”
• Many counterculture members sought other forms of spiritual enlightenment• Buddhism and other Eastern
religions
COUNTERCULTURE ENDS
• Unfortunately, by the end of the 60’s many had become disillusioned by the excesses of the culture
• Use of drugs lead to increased drug abuse increased crime rates and increased deaths from overdose
• Many famous musicians died from overdose (i.e.- Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin while only in their twenties)
• Motives/values became increasingly shallow and self-centered
• By the end of the decade most hippies had returned to mainstream society
WOMEN’S RIGHTS MOVEMENT
• 1960’s-70’s- The second wave of Feminism• Theory of political, economic, and social
equality among men and women
• Civil Rights Movement prompted women to look at the way they were judged and treated in society
• Brought black and white women together- strengthening both causes
• Number of working women grew during the 50’s and 60’s- women were looking for more and better opportunities
WOMEN’S RIGHTS MOVEMENT • National Organization for Women (NOW)
• Established by Betty Friedan (author of The Feminine Mystique)
• Popularized the movement• Sought to pass the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
• Supposed to be passed in the early 20’s• Also sought to pass reproductive protection laws
• Two types of feminists: • Those following the values of NOW- seeking
political and legislative change• Radical Feminists- seeking to raise public
awareness• Engaged in small, conscious-raising efforts and
protests • i.e.- protesting Miss America Pageants, Playboy
WOMEN’S RIGHTS MOVEMENT • Opposition came from men and women
• Some women thought the movement was an assault on family, marriage, and children
• Women like Phyllis Schlafly fought to keep the ERA from passing, fearing that it would compel women to fight in the military, end sex-segregated bathrooms, and hurt the family
• Unfortunately the ERA fell short of passing and did not become a constitutional amendment
WOMEN’S RIGHTS MOVEMENT
• Lasting effects: • Expansion of women’s roles and
opportunities • Gained new legal rights (i.e.-
Title VII)• Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission• Title IX- of the Higher Education
Act of 1972 banned discrimination in education
• Equal Credit Opportunity Act• 1973- Roe v. Wade
LATINO RIGHTS MOVEMENT• Increased Latino population
• Immigration restrictions of Europeans appeared after WWI
• After WWII, growing demand for inexpensive labor (Braceros Program)
• Decreased opportunities in Latin America
• 1950’s- Latinos were being targeted for deportation, looking for migrants who were there illegally
• 1965- Immigration and Nationality Act- eliminated national-origin quotas
• By the 1970’s over 600,000 Mexican migrants came to the U.S.
LATINO RIGHTS MOVEMENT• Latinos and other minorities had faced
discrimination for a long time
• Movement for change was inspired by the Civil Rights Movement
• Demanded better working conditions, salaries, educational opportunities
• Sought federal protection of their right to vote and campaigned to elect politicians who represented them and their interests
LATINO RIGHTS MOVEMENT• Cesar Chavez- the most influential Latino
activist • Fought for rights for farm workers• 1962- organized a farmworkers’ union in
Delano, CA• Late 1960’s- merged with a Filipino
farmworkers union which became the United Farm Workers (UFW)
• He was committed to non-violence • Implemented many worker strikes and
consumer boycotts
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awP3yXv-4ng
LATINO RIGHTS MOVEMENT• Chicano Movement
• Broader social and political movement • Dedicated to increasing Latino awareness
of their history and culture• Others focused on quality of life issues
(reducing poverty and discrimination)
• La Raza Unida • Political Party in Texas formed by Jose
Angel Gutierrez • Organized for better housing and jobs• Successfully supported Latino political
candidates
NATIVE AMERICAN RIGHTS• Youth took the lead in the movement for
change for Native Americans
• National Indian Youth Council (NIYC)- formed in 1961 to protect native fishing rights• Over time the group expanded to include
broad civil rights for all Native Americans
• 1968- American Indian Movement founded by Chippewa activists • Helped those living in urban ghettos• Addressed the rights of securing land, legal
rights, and self-government for Native Americans
NATIVE AMERICAN RIGHTS• Dissatisfaction grew with the government and
activists became more militant
• 1969- a group occupied the island of Alcatraz (former site of a federal prison) and gained control of the land until 1971
• 1973- Siege and Wounded Knee• AIM organized and occupation of the village,
demanding that the government reexamine the conditions of reservations
• The standoff ended with two AIM members dead • The government did agree to reexamine the
conditions
• Indian Self Determination Act of 1975- gave tribes more control over resources and education on reservations
ASIAN AMERICAN RIGHTS • Japanese American Citizens
League- founded in 1929 worked for decades to receive compensation for property lost during the internment camps of WWII
• Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments also provided aid to Asian immigrants
ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT• Also inspired by the many civil rights movements
• People began to realize that we were not only harming the environment, but people themselves
• Coal smog, acid rain, poisonous human byproduct, DDT, nuclear waste = toxic waste
• 1962- biologist Rachel Carson releases her book, Silent Spring
• Her work convinced Congress to restrict the use of pesticides (specifically DDT) and spurred widespread environmental activism
• Earth Day- enacted in 1970, April 22
ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT
• Nixon and Congress create the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970
• Also signed environmental laws such as, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act
• President Ford continued in Nixon’s footsteps by creating the Nuclear Registry Commission in 1974
ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT
• After the 70’s many began to wonder if there were too many environmental restrictions
• Companies began illegally dumping waste
• Nuclear energy and oil spills created more problems
• Some felt it was a violation of private property rights
• Fear that too much regulation would inhibit jobs and businesses