Influence Of Popular Culture In The 1960s

Movies starring young men as the main character such as The Wild One and Rebel Without a Cause inspired young men to follow punk style fashion trends. Wearing blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and a leather jacket became popular around this time, and it was causing a generation of young men to change their attitudes. This trend became “a symbol of teenage rebellion for boys everywhere.” However, not all boys were following this punk style of fashion. Many were leaning more towards the British styles and trends, including the ‘teddy boy’ style, which consisted of high waisted, narrow ‘drain pipe’ trousers, long jackets, slim ties and large, shiny, pointed shoes. (http://www.skwirk.com/p-c_s-14_u-189_t-506_c-1873/nsw/history/australia's-social-and-cultural-history-in-the-post-war-period/social-and-cultural-features-of-the-1950s/fashion-in-the-1950s)

The 1960’s and early 1970’s were a time that eternally changed the culture and humanity of America. It was a time widely known for peace and love when in reality; many minorities were struggling to gain a modicum of equality and freedom. It was a time, in which a younger generation rebelled against the conventional norms, questioning power and government, and insisting on more freedoms for minorities. In addition, an enormous movement began rising in opposition to the Vietnam War. It was a time of brutal altercations, with the civil rights movement and the youth culture demanding equality and the war in Vietnam put public loyalty to the test. Countless African-Americans, Native-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, women, and college students

drug taking, in songs like " Lucy in the sky with diamonds " which the

The sixties were a period of extreme change. Inside homes, families began to become accustomed to the new technology surrounding them, but outside a political war was taking over America. After a decade of conformity, the sixties were the consequences, people began to rebel against the rules of society. The sixties showed the shift towards individualism, civil rights, and feminism. After living through this cultural shift from the fifties to the sixties, Brenda Meng shares her opinion on how these concepts threatened society then, and how they continue to threaten society now. In her opinion, the decade had been an important one, but after it passed society had changed for the worst.

Manifestations of Mass Culture in the 1950’s such as Consumerism, Suburbia, Materialism, were seen as a new prosperity combined with a “buy now pay later” attitude began in America. These manifestations were realized primarily as new forms of entertainment were disseminated to the American public through TV. 76 million Baby Boomers born between 1946 and 1964 provided the largest generational market in American history. Marked by the end of World War 2 and bolstered by the emerging prosperity of this period a number of mass media fueled phenomenon began to grow into existence. Television, Suburbia, and Materialism lead the way for aspired to lifestyles of the American Masses. Arguably most important of these three was TV in that it provided the medium by which practically all of the manifestations of Mass Culture were disseminated among the populace. Affordable by most, by 1960 ninety percent of American households owned a TV. Supplying the medium by which both the markets and the supply side of the American economy were watching and capitalizing on, recreated and revolutionized much of the American economy. Most TV programing in the late fifties and early sixties was generally conservative and projected mainstream traditional American values. By pleasantly creeping into homes with this mainstream methodology TV became an institutional mainstay and a necessity of the American way of life.

Recreation, reinventing, and reimagining the world that surrounds us: the 1960s was just that recreating the social and political views in the United States. In 1955, America got involved in the Vietnam War and nothing become of it in the American society. However, in the late 1960s, around 1967 to be exact, the people of America opinions on the war split into two, either being for the war (Hawks) or against it (Doves). The Hawks were the ones that wanted to stay in the war and believed that they shouldn’t back down from the fight and that leaving the fight was a sign of weakness. While the Doves wanted the United States to pull out of the war because it wasn’t our war to fight to begin with. Whichever the side the people were on, it was creating

The author of Fashion of the Decade states, “Women’s 1960s fashion was extreme style and attitude from the start of the decade to the end”(Yvonne Connikie). The 60s audacious, funky patterns and colors as bright as a new penny were a new style influenced by modern day teenagers and pop culture. For example, The History of Popular Culture book states, “It was the whole idea of a return to youth that drove most of the fashion in the 1960s”(Michael Bergan). During the 60’s half of the population in the United States was under 25, making the modern day fashion whimsical, and full of bright colors. At the beginning of the valiant decade, the pencil dress dominated and could be found at any boutique and shop in its various different colors and patterns and for the guys, the classic old suit with a tie was an everyday necessity. However, as the decade progressed the outfits became more casual, and typically guys would wear penny loafer shoes with a tailored sports jacket and a long overcoat. In addition, woman progressed into more casual clothes as well. They would wear shift dresses, that were wide, open, and were shorter than the typical dresses in the fifties. The text states, “there is no such thing as too short”(Sheila Hardy). As the decade furthered the dresses and skirts became shorter by the minute. The jumper dresses and mini skirts were sold shorter than they ever had been before. However, it wasn't as easy as

Have you ever been dissatisfied with the society growing up? You are not alone. Many youngsters were dissatisfied with the society that they were growing up in. That discontent can turn into a resource and become a basis that fuels progress and innovation. That innovation and change might have been brought in later years, but profound experiences teenagers had during their adolescence shaped their worldviews and made them hungry for a change.

During the 1960’s, many significant cultural changes took place. These changes were so significant that their effects can still be seen today. Among these changes are the changes and developments in music and race relations. These changes left very obvious marks on the time period. As such, the view that the 1960’s was a period of major cultural change is true and this can be seen through the changes in music and the developments in race relations.

The 1960’s remains one of the most controversial decades of the 20th century and is a time of change that shaped the United States into what it is today. During this era, America was facing many issues including, Civil Rights, the Vietnam War, Nuclear Arms, and Non-Conformity. Unhappy with current political and social standards, young Americans began to question the beliefs held by their parents and felt that traditional values were not sufficient during this difficult time. One of the strongest expressions of their dissatisfaction was music. Rock and roll became very popular in the US and was used by many people to voice their protests. These bands also helped encourage racial equality because their members were evaluated based on talent, not skin color. In 1965 musician Stephan Conn stated “Our bands were nearly always integrated, since selection of the best sax man, guitarist or vocalist and not color always governed our choices” (Fonor, 1155). This made equality in society seem attainable, which is why many groups became more vocal in their demands for a more equal and diverse American society.

The American British Invasion of the 1960s changed the music industry forever while also helping move along many cultural changes of the era (MacDonald 14). The Beatles’ introduction into America sparked a revolution in the music industry that has yet to be rivaled by any modern musical group (MacDonald 1). The value of their music, as well as the phenomenon of “Beatlemania,” will live on forever (Millard 7). The social and cultural movements of the 1960s illustrate a change in America’s youth - and the music they listened to - that pushed society forward into the modern era.

Over the course of four decades, American cultural and social life had changed. From the 1950s to the 1980s, life as a young adult was different. The different decades had different situations that were going on at that time. Due to this, the life of a young adult is different. During these times, there were changes that had affected the young people. These effects were both positive and negative.

The nineteen-sixties were a turbulent time in history, with several social movements taking place; ranging from the Civil Rights Movement to the protests led by university students against the Vietnam War and other social injustices to Second Wave Feminism. These three social movements called for a change of values within the United States; whether that is removing racial discrimination from the United States or changing the way that women are viewed within the country. Each of these movements want to change the culture within the United States for a more “American” and democratic nation. They called for a change within the mindset of Americans during this time. These movements had led to a change to the culture of the United States of America, these changes ranged from political changes to the views Americans had on certain peers within the nation.

Perhaps inevitably, having weathered the conformity of the 1950s, and the panic of the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962), American Pop-art reached its peak during the second half of the 1960s, only to find itself infected and undermined by the angst of the Vietnam War era, and the corresponding rise of

Popular Culture in Britain at the Beginning of the 1960s In this essay I will describe the key features of popular culture in Britain at the beginning of the 1960s. In the late 40-50s, life was drab, uniform and restrained. People generally had a low standard of living as a result of the Second World War. This was formally known as austerity.