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
The 1950s saw a period of extensive contentment within postwar America. A majority of the population adapted to the modern suburban lifestyle that emerged within this time period. They bought houses, started families, got steady jobs, and watched the television while complacently submitting to the government. Although fairly monotonous, this sort of lifestyle was safe and secure many Americans were ready to sacrifice individuality for a sense of comfort. There was a minority, however, that did not quite accept this conservative conformity that had swept across the nation; some of these people took the shape of artists and writers. During the 1950s, what became known as the "Beat Generation" inspired the challenging of and rebelling against conventional America.
Towards the end of the decade the Hippie movement had a huge impact on the way people started to view clothing. This group rebelled against war, encouraged peace and love. Their presence had a major influence on fashion. They opted for clothing that was natural and comfortable. Accessories w...
Being a hippie was more than just a fashion statement it was a new way of life that was introduced in the 60’s. Some major changes in the 60s was the uses of drugs such as Marijuana and LSD used by the hippies. Along with the drug use that hippies commonly used was the new fashion trends. All of the sudden young men started to grow beards, and let their hair grow down past their shoulders. Then women started dressing in Psychedelic colors and were dressing in ways nobody ever has seen. Then once the crazy astounding hippie style emerged men and women started to wear bell bottom jeans, tie dye shirts, headbands, and sandals. At times men and women would even go barefoot, some women would even go braless! Some other hippie styles that were common were fringed buckskins, vests, caftans, mexican peasant blouses and gypsy style skirts was what most women commonly dressed like. Although for other conservative hippie styles there was more of a lounging type of style such as men and women wearing pajamas with a tunic top of some sort.
As World War Two came to a close, a new American culture was developing all across the United States. Families were moving away from crowded cities into spacious suburban towns to help create a better life for them during and after the baby boom of the post-war era. Teenagers were starting to become independent by listing to their own music and not wearing the same style of clothing as their parents. Aside from the progress of society that was made during this time period, many people still did not discuss controversial issues such as divorce and sexual relations between young people. While many historians regard the 1950s as a time of true conservatism at its finest, it could really be considered a time of true progression in the American way of life.
Zeinab Atwa Senior English/ Pd. 3 Ms. Ruiz Dec. 5/ 2017. History of the hippie movement The movement that began during the counterculture era in the 1960s, also known as the youth movement, rebelled against the conformity of American life. The main goal the hippie movement was trying to accomplish was being able to change views and ideas politically, socially, and culturally. However, they mainly aimed at changing cultural and everyday values.
Hippies refused to conform to the ideals of society that were in place at the time, this challenged and influenced the society in which they were apart of. Hippies expressed themselves in profound ways in everything they did, and one way they did this was by the way they presented themselves. The image
Counterculture During the Vietnam Era With a country in shambles as a result of the Vietnam War, thousands of young men and women took their stand through rallies, protests, and concerts. A large number of young Americans opposed the war; with a common feeling of anti-war, thousands of youths united as one. This new culture of opposition spread like wild fire with alternative lifestyles blossoming, people coming together and reviving their communal efforts, demonstrated at the Woodstock Art and Music festival. The use of drugs, mainly marijuana, has become a staple in the community of anti-war youths. The countercultures’ radical views and actions caused American society to turn its head and look to the young.
During the sixties Americans saw the rise of the counterculture. The counterculture, which was a group of movements focused on achieving personal and cultural liberation, was embraced by the decade’s young Americans. Because many Americans were members of the different movements in the counterculture, the counterculture influenced American society. As a result of the achievements the counterculture movements made, the United States in the 1960s became a more open, more tolerant, and freer country.
During the summer of love, the diggers helped out and spread the trend of being a hippie. Hippies are always so recognizable then and now with their “long flowing hair, bright clothes, and flowy dresses.” (The Sixties Chronicles 2004) With their noticeable look the hippies believed strongly in individualism. Again shown with their clothes, but also something else. “...where the hippie cry, "Do your own thing!" served to incubate a new cornucopia of causes…” (Stein pg.1) There are all sorts of causes that they fought for then that we have now that is better than what it was before. Some of the causes they fought for were gay rights, the environment, women's liberation, saving the whales, saving the forests and so much more. It had a, “...widespread impact in fashion, art, in the use of illicit drugs…” (Ventre pg.1) They also helped out creating a counterculture movement. During the summer of love there was also bad things happening during this time, Vietnam war was going on. The Summer of Love was a backlash to the war. Most of the people there wanted progress and there were tons of anti-war protests. Although there were still some who resisted and didn’t care that thousands of people were being drafted into the war. “Some methods of change proved healthy, others were damaging, depending on which social observers are to be believed.” (Summer of Love That Changed Music and Culture 2007) While the hippies were out and trying to change the world, some did it while doing
The term hippie is derived from "hip" or "hipster" used by the beats to describe someone who was part of their scene. It literally means to know, so someone who's "hip" is wise. Hippies never adopted this term for themselves. They preferred to be called the "beautiful people". However the media played up "hippy" as the catch-all phrase to describe the masses of young people growing their hair long, listening to rock music, doing drugs, practising free love, going to various gatherings and concerts, demonstrating and rejecting the popular culture of the early 60's. Hippies were the adults of the baby boom post-World War II. They wanted to test and enjoy the limits of life adopting a motto of - “Being alive should be Ecstasy”.
The Hippie Movement changed the politics and the culture in America in the 1960s. When the nineteen fifties turned into the nineteen sixties, not much had changed, people were still extremely patriotic, the society of America seemed to work together, and the youth of America did not have much to worry about, except for how fast their car went or what kind of outfit they should wear to the Prom. After 1963, things started to slowly change in how America viewed its politics, culture, and social beliefs, and the group that was in charge of this change seemed to be the youth of America. The Civil Rights Movement, President Kennedy’s death, new music, the birth control pill, the growing illegal drug market, and the Vietnam War seemed to blend together to form a new counterculture in America, the hippie.
American society and culture experienced an awakening during the 1960s as a result of the diverse civil rights, economic, and political issues it was faced with. At the center of this revolution was the American hippie, the most peculiar and highly influential figure of the time period. Hippies were vital to the American counterculture, fueling a movement to expand awareness and stretch accepted values. The hippies’ solutions to the problems of institutionalized American society were to either participate in mass protests with their alternative lifestyles and radical beliefs or drop out of society completely.
While the 1950’s had been very conservative, the stay-at-home housewives, the perfect families and home lives, children of the baby boom soon alternated this into a very different kind of lifestyle. Women were beginning to fight for their rights, and men began to realize them as equals, war in America became a very sore subject, not everyone was “patriotic” and believed we should all fight for our country. The people who began these changes in the ways of thinking were known as “hippies”. The hippie movement began in San Francisco. A hippi...
When people hear the term hippie, they think of men and woman in loose clothing with flowers weaved in their hair. Although these men and women did in fact wear these things, they left a significant impact on society. Hippies were a part of the Counterculture movement, which basic ideals were to reject the ideas of mainstream society. The movement itself began with the protesting of the Vietnam War. Eventually, the movement was more than just protesting the war. Hippies promoted the use of recreational drugs, religious tolerance; they also changed society’s views and attitudes about lifestyle and social behavior. The Counterculture movement was the most influential era in the 20th century because the people of this time changed society’s outlook, and broached the topics of drugs, fashion, and sexual freedom.
The sixties was a decade of liberation and revolution, a time of great change and exciting exploration for the generations to come. It was a time of anti-war protests, free love, sit-ins, naked hippie chicks and mind-altering drugs. In big cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Paris, there was a passionate exchange of ideas, fiery protests against the Vietnam War, and a time for love, peace and equality. The coming together of like-minded people from around the world was spontaneous and unstoppable. This group of people, which included writers, musicians, thinkers and tokers, came to be known as the popular counterculture, better known as hippies. The dawning of the Age of Aquarius in the late sixties was more than just a musical orgy. It was a time of spiritual missions to fight for change and everything they believed in. Freedom, love, justice, equality and peace were at the very forefront of this movement (West, 2008). Some wore beads. Some had long hair. Some wore tie-dye and others wore turtle-neck sweaters. The Hippie generation was a wild bunch, to say the least, that opened the cookie jar of possibilities politically, sexually, spiritually and socially to forever be known as one of the most memorable social movements of all time (Hippie Generation, 2003).