Youth Culture in the 1960s

The youth culture of the 1960s led a radical departure from the conservative 1950s. While the transformation permeated all aspects of life during those times, the most notable influences were in the social and political environments, music and fashion.

Youth not only wanted social and political change, they demanded it. For example, the anti-war movement to end U.S. involvement in Vietnam led to significant civil unrest (1960s). According to the same source, blacks, women, Hispanic, Chicanos and homosexuals began highly organized movements to fight for their rights. The youth culture of the 1960s also sought a sexual revolution with new norms for sexual behavior and railed against materialism (1960s).

There was a major change in music beginning in the mid 1960s, caused in part by the drug scene (American cultural history) as well as the rise of the counter culture movement (1960s). Bands and artists such as the Beatles, the Doors, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Cream, the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Bob Marley, Deep Purple, the Who, Sly and the Family Stone, Jimi Hendrix, and the Animals produced music that represented a radical departure from previous musical styles (1960s). There was also radical folk music lead created by Bob Dylan, the Mamas and the Papas, Joan Baez, and Donovan (1960s).

Both women's and men's fashion reflected the revolutionary atmosphere of the 1969s as described in American cultural history. Women began wearing more revealing and suggestive clothing such as miniskirts, hot pants, and go-go boots. Men wore their hair longer and grew beards and moustaches. Bright colors, double-breasted sports jackets, polyester pants suits with Nehru jackets, and turtlenecks were trendy fashions for men. Unisex dressing such as bell bottoms, love beads and embellished t-shirts was also popular.

Perhaps change in the 1960s was driven due to the fact that there had been a post-war baby boom which had created a huge number of youth. Power came in numbers and they felt free to make their mark on the culture, changing aspects of society, politics, music and fashion, to name only a few of the cultural transformations.

Bibliography

1960s. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960s#Music

American cultural history. http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade60.html