The Role Of Counterculture In The 1950's

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The 1950s was a time to be alive. Fresh out of WWII the US citizens were far done with rationing their food and going without the finer things in life, they were ready to go back to a “normal” society and conform to the white picket fence lifestyle that seemed oh so appealing. But there was one group of Americans in particular that challenged this lifestyle and everything that the 50s stood for, they were known as the Hippies. Gale in Context states that, “As members of a thriving and diverse counterculture, they expressed the deep dissatisfaction many other people felt with American culture” (“Sixties Counterculture: The Hippies and Beyond,” 1). While hippies are most known for their iconic tie dye shirts and bell-bottom jeans, there is much …show more content…

“Instead, the hippie movement advocates for natural living, community, and personal empowerment” (“Hippies,” 1). According to Joel Lobenthal from Gale US History in Context, “The hippies protest against a capitalist society informed their impunity to all received strictures or etiquettes about clothes” (Lobenthal, 2). Hippies dressed differently from others, acted differently than others, and valued different goals than others, which in some ways might have set them apart from mainstream society, but for them as a community it helped build and cement their identity as a group. They didn’t value rules, or a nuclear, cookie cutter family lifestyle, they instead lived a more free spirited life, and appreciated art, creativity, music, love, and expression, rather than materialistic items. This is an attitude held by hippies that helps promote and blossom ideals and build a foundation for objectives and movements like this in the future. Lastly, Hippies challenged 1950s conformity by being accepting and non discriminative against any type of person that wanted to be a hippie, live their type of lifestyle, or join their

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