Counterculture

• A counterculture is simply a group that

openly rejects the norms and values of the
larger society. Norms are the behaviors that
society considers to be acceptable or
normal.
• Rejection of mainstream society
• Major aspects
• Authenticity
• Individualism
• Community
 Roots of Counterculture
• Many young Americans were unhappy with their “boring” lives in
suburbia
• "Do your own thing, wherever you have to do it and whenever
you want. Drop out. Leave society as you have known it. Leave it
utterly. Blow the mind of every straight person you can reach.
Turn them on, if not to drugs, then to beauty, love, honesty,
fun.”
• 1967 Quote about hippies

• Inspired by JFK’s optimism to make the world a better place

• Society’s problems
• JFK assassination
• Slow Civil Rights movement
• Poverty
 Hippies
• Most came from white, middle-class backgrounds
• 15-25 years old
• Long hair
• Some hippies lives together in communes
• Increase in birth control caused more people to relax their
standard of morality
• Rejected Christianity and focused on Eastern religions
• They gave up all or most personal possessions
• materialism was encouraged during this time
• Antiwar movement gave them a political force to rally behind
 Drugs (are bad)
• Large part of the Hippie counterculture
• Believed drugs expanded their minds and
help them discover truth
• Two major drugs
• Marijuana (pot)
• LSD (acid)
• Timothy Leary
• Stanford Professor
• Experimented with psychedelic drugs
in a controlled environment (especially
acid)
 CHAPTER 18: POLITICS OF PROTEST
•Black Power (Chapter 16)
• Youth Movement (520-522)
• Counterculture (Hippies 522-523)
• Women (524-528)
• Latinos (529-533)