Explain the emergence and impact of student movements and the countercuture of the 1960s.?

Question

what is the counterculture?
why did it take place in the 60s?
what events were happening at the time?
describe student movements of the time. What were they protesting? why?






Cite all sources used!!

Answer 1

a) the counterculture emerged as a result of the difference between the stated values of the US and its actual policies as identified by the most affluent (educated) generation in US history. White counterculture emerged as a consequence of the newly visible black counterculture, which had been in the rise from the emancipation era onwards.
b) Counterculture in the US was the approach of white youths to black culture. If you look at the a-political inclination of 1950's counterculture (discounting the rarity of the Beats) you should notice that the progression into politics follows in sync with the war for Civil Rights. Political radicalism in the campus, in the US was born in Black Campuses and later in public universities (such as Berkley) in solidarity campaigns for civil rights. White dissent later turned its attention to the Vietnam war.
c) What do you mean about events? Do you mean what were they protesting? Man, it's a long chronicle of events. I suggest looking into black dissent from Selma, Freedom Riders and Montgomery to the Million Man March and SNCC and the Black Panthers. Maybe then check out SDS and the Weather Underground (there is a great doc out there). You must also look into Kent State, Jackson State, the Attica Massacre, prisoners solidarity and eventually look at AIM and the Battle at Wounded Knee. Also look at the great efforts of the government to stifle dissent through the FBI's COINTELPRO.
d) First they fought for 14th amendment rights in the south. Then against racism and blacks working rights (check out the doc "The War at Home" ). Then the war and later the illegal invasion of Cambodia.

Answer 2

The anti-war movement was chiefly a student organization, because on the one hand students were the ones eligible for the draft; but on the other hand students were deferred.

Students were also active in the free-speech movement at Berkeley, the emergence of rock music (Jim Morrison, for example, was a student at UCLA).

Students were also active in the Civil Rights Movement (Freedom Rides and SNCC), counter-culture and women's movements, environmentalism and sexual revolution.