Civil Rights - Protest Culture Flashcards
What is populuxe?
A time when everyone can afford to live in some measure of luxury
What was the economic situation in America 1945-60?
Period of low inflation.
America’s gross national product grew from $300,000 million to $500,000 million.
What was the economic situation for the working class during the period 1945-60?
Labour unions used their power to negotiate excellent deals for their members so the wages for production workers grew by 70%
What was the Great Depression?
A period of worldwide economic crisis from 1929-45
How did the affluence during the period impact on whites’ view of blacks
Made the middle classes feel more secure with money and therefore less anxious about greater opportunities for black people
How did the affluence during this period impact on youths?
‘Baby boomers’ (born after the war) were better educated and hadn’t experienced poverty. They were less materialistic and more interested in politics. Therefore they were more willing to contemplate making sacrifices for a good cause.
Expressed in counterculture and liberal politics (idealism of Kennedy’s presidency)
What was the failure of liberalism?
Kennedy and Johnson, who both spoke of a fairer society, were not able to deliver the reform that idealistic young Americans wanted.
Kennedy: slow to act on civil rights
Johnson: sidetracked by Vietnam
What was the impact of the Vietnam war on young idealists who had initially supported Kennedy and Johnson
It alienated them
Give a statistic about the growth of media culture in the 50s and 60s
By 1960, 90% of Americans owned a television and watched news, programmes and adverts
What was mass culture in regards to modern media?
The original diverse culture in America being dominated by the media, filling the minds of Americans with worthless ideas and distracting them from real issues, such as poverty.
What was Corporate Culture?
The dominance of large companies in America changing American culture:
Traditionally, American culture stressed independence and individualism, but big businesses valued loyalty and conformity
What was the impact of Corporate culture on youths?
Conformity to big businesses was unattractive to American youth and was one of the reasons why they turned to protest
What was the ‘other America?’
The groups in society who did not benefit from the economic boom (e.g blacks and the elderly). American society had become richer but not more equal
Who made up America’s counter culture?
Hippies
Black Panthers
Feminists
Peaceniks
What were the 2 essential beliefs across America’s counterculture in the 1960s?
- America was corrupt (politicians didn’t really believe in peace, justice and freedom.) In reality America was an unfree and unjust society and those in power wanted to keep it that way
- Traditional political institutions (political parties) could not deliver radical change. Consequently they followed black activists and took their protests to the streets
What was a peacenik?
Term of abuse used to describe an anti-war campaigner
How did Disney advocate America’s counterculture?
- Rock music (Mickey Mouse Club)
- Latin/African dancing
- Trippy psychedelia
- Young rebels (Robin Hood)
What was the influence of rock ‘n’ roll on counterculture?
- Elvis Presley style was mixed black gospel and blues music with white-southern country music. Advocated sex and drugs
- The Beatles - influenced by hallucinogenic drugs
What were the Beatniks?
A counterculture movement among young people in the late 50s and early 60s. They encouraged drugs, sex, philosophy and poetry. They rejected the ‘square’ (mainstream culture) and rebelled against it by switching gender tole stereotypes (boys had long her, girls had short hair)
Who were the Hippies?
Most prominent feature of counterculture in mid 60s. Refuges set up for young people who had run away from home, free food stores, free transport, free healthcare, free concerts. Drugs and liberated sex was encouraged, free LSD produced. In favour of more natural culture. Largely from middle class backgrounds
What were the New Left Groups?
Political groups who campaigned for a more equal distribution of wealth in America. They were in favour of communism and socialism
What was the first New Left group?
Students for a Democratic Society
Formed at University of Michigan in 1960
Advocated economic equality, where the economy should provide a good life for all people rather than making a profit
What was the second New Left group?
Free Speech Movement (FSM)
Critical of American society and the University of California forbidding political leaflets
How many soldiers were fighting in Vietnam in 1968?
550,000
What percentage of soldiers in Vietnam came from working class backgrounds?
80%
What were the years that America was involved in the Vietnam War?
1945-75
Why was the Vietnam War unpopular?
- Death rate
- The Draft
- Unfair Draft (wealthy whites could avoid it through uni)
- Racist war (white American govt. sought to conquer an Asian country)
- Tactics (air force bombing raids killing innocent Vietnamese)
When was the first anti-war rally?
April 1965 in Washington D.C.
How did the anti-war movement gain respect?
Through teach-ins (cancelled lectures when staff and students debate the war). Many prominent academics participated
What was the black involvement in the anti-war movement?
- SNCC involved in the teach-ins
- King spoke out against the war