1960's culture
drugs
After World War II, the pharmaceutical industry exploded with research into new drugs. They produced drugs to prevent disease, to cure disease, to alleviate pain, to keep you alert, to help you to sleep, to lessen worry, to reduce hyperactivity in children, and to remove the symptoms of psychological disorders
Drugs were portrayed as wonders of modern technology. So in the early 60s drugs were not seen as evil.
Drugs were portrayed as wonders of modern technology. So in the early 60s drugs were not seen as evil.
- In the 60s marijuana they believe that it increased sensitivity and creativity.So many artist during this time where on marijuana. Artists, poets, writers, musicians, all felt inspired under its influence.Usually surface at parties and along with alcohol , helped lower inhibitions and get the party moving. It was in this group context where the uninitiated would usually encounter their first joint.
- Leary began promoting the personal use of LSD for personal enlightenment. Speaking at the San Francisco Human Be-In in 1967, he delivered the famous phrase Turn on, tune in, drop out. As LSD use became more widespread the drug also became more hazardous. Many reports appeared of large numbers of LSD users hospitalized, some of them for considerable periods, following LSD trips. Patients and others who took LSD before 1962 received precisely measured doses.
music
The 1960's were a time of upheaval in society, fashion, attitudes and especially music. Before 1963, the music of the sixties still reflected the sound, style and beliefs of the previous decade and many of the hit records were by artists who had found mainstream success in the 1950s, like Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Dion, and The Everly Brothers.
- The "British Invasion" is the name given to the period of time in the early to mid-1960's, during which many British rock bands and pop artists found mainstream success in the United States and worldwide. Many of these bands first started by covering American songs and showcasing an American Rock 'n' Roll and R&B influence in their sounds. As these bands gained popularity, many of them ventured into new music territory and created their own unique styles.
- The "Motown Sound" and popular R&B music had a major significance in terms of the Civil Rights movement and integration in American society during the sixties. Motown started as a Detroit-based record label in the late fifties and early sixties, but it quickly turned into much more as the acts gained popularity worldwide. Motown records consisted mainly of African-American groups, singers, songwriters and management and their musical and business success proved in breaking down the barriers of segregation and granted African-American performers and musicians a chances to reappropriate much of the success that had been credited to white rock 'n' rollers and pop artists who had success in singing "black music" during the previous decade.
hippies
Hippies represent the counterculture of the 1960’s. Their lifestyle is usually associated with rock music, hallucinogenic drugs, and long, flow y hair and clothing. They were seen by some as disrespectful and dirty and a disgrace to society, but to many they are a reminder of a more peaceful, carefree part of America’s history. Hippies were strongly against violence and supported liberal policies and freedom of personal expression, their lifestyles centering around the concepts of peace, freedom, and harmony for all people.
- The hippies of the 1960’s were the teenagers of the baby boom generation, so they were found in large numbers. They were generally Caucasian, middle-class, white teenagers between the ages of 15-25 who were tired of the restrictions put on them by society and their conservative parents. Most lived in urban areas or came from an urban background.
- The culture of hippies was unlike anything the people of the United States had ever seen before. They focused their lives around the ideas of peace, love, freedom, and living life to the fullest. To heighten their experiences spiritually and physically, many hippies used hallucinogenic drugs, like LSD. They listened to rock music and encouraged artistic expression in all different mediums. They lived peaceful lives and believed that living together in harmony was possible and necessary.
- The hippie movement first became popular in the 1960's, with a recognizable decline in the hippie counterculture movement occurring in the late 1970's due to the aging of the hippie population as well as the end of the Vietnam War.
- The hippie counterculture was a social movement caused by many issues and changes going on in the United States during the 1960’s. One important cause was the Vietnam War. These young men and women had friends and brothers being drafted and killed in Vietnam and were looking to make their anti-war views heard, hoping that they could bring peace and harmony to the world in a time of such great violence and atrocity. Another factor influencing hippie counterculture was the increasing popularity of rock and roll music.