Counter culture Flashcards
what were the 1960s characterised by
The 1960s was a decade of change and protests from Americans who did not share in the American dream and or sought to revise it. The CRM helped inspire the radicalisation of some African Americans and also protesters such as students, women and those opposed to the Vietnam war
why did students protest
An unprecedented number of students protested in the 1960s for the following reasons :
1. The student population decided it should and could protest without risk because everyone else was and students had nothing to lose
2. President Kennedy’s New Frontier encouraged idealism on issues such as peace and prejudice. Many students used hid idea to demand peace in Vietnam and end ethnic discrimination
3. CRM gave them inspiration
4. They resented college authorities who treated them as children and supported an unjust war in Vietnam
when did Student Radicalism first gain attention
Student radicalism first gained attention in Dec 1964 at UC Berkeley
Berkeley’s Free Speech Movement
The leader of the Berkeley Protests was Mario Savio. Savio wanted to raise money for the SNCC but the university authorities did not allow fundraising and political activity on campus. This led to student protests by thousands at the Uni, protesting against the infringements of their constitutional rights to free speech. They occupied the administration building until the police ejected them and made 800 arrests. This movement became known as the Berkeley Free Speech movement and they gained considerable support from the Berkeley teaching staff and so the university backed down and allowed political discussion on campus. BFSM triggered nationwide protests and students criticised their universities for undertaking paid research for government defence agencies
what other protests were led by Students
Anti-War movement
Columbia University Protests
what were the motives for the anti-war movement
The draft, opposed bombing, felt the Vietnamese should be left alone
when was the first notable anti-war protest
The first notable protest took place in May 1964 when 1000 Yale University students staged a protest march in New York City
what did many universities hold during the protests
During 1965, many universities held teach ins with anti-war lectures and debates. 20,000 participated in a Berkeley teach in. The protests frequently led to disorder
what was the largest anti-war protest
The largest anti-war protest was staged by SDS in Washington DC in 1965, as many as 25,000 participated in a March that brought the SDS national attention.
who were the two anti-war groups
SDS
New Left
what did the SDS and New Left establish
The SDS and the New Left established the National Mobilisation Committee to End the war and organised a demonstration in Washington as part of the Stop the Draft Week in 1967. Over 100,000 attended the march, chanting ‘hell no, we won’t go’
what happened during the Stop the Draft Week
During the stop the draft week, draft cards were publicly burned across America and several thousand Berkeley radicals tried to close down the Oakland draft headquarters. The protests were violent and led to disorder as they were faced with 2000 police officers who attacked them with clubs.
what was the trigger for protests in 1968
The trigger for many of the protests in 1968 was events at Columbia university, which demonstrated how anti-war sentiments often combined with other grievances to generate youth activism
what was the columbia university protests caused by
In 1968, the protest was caused by -
the university’s involvement in weapons research which assisted the government and the Vietnam war effort
The relationship between the university and the black and hispanic populations in Harlem. Columbia expansion programmes led to the eviction of several thousand Harlem residents.
how did Columbia escalate
Their grievances generated protests in which 1000 of columbias 17,000 students participated. They seized five university buildings and covered walls with pictures of Malcolm X and Communist heroes. The police used clubs and made 692 arrests. Columbia shut down for the term
did the student protests achieve anything?
The University at Columbia terminated its contract with the Institute for Defence Analysis and decided not to continue its expansion programmes. Many believed they helped persuade Johnson to halt escalation and Nixon to end the war. Others argue that Johnson and Nixon were motivated by their realisation that America could not win the war. Some say it was a combination of both. While some credit the student protests with improving the quality of life for ethnic minorities and with ensuring the US withdrawal from Vietnam, others believed that student protests promoted violence, offered little that was constructive and damaged the American liberal tradition. Many contemporary Americans disliked protesters and the counter culture. This contributed to a conservative reaction that helped the republican Nixon in the white house in Nov 1968
what type of culture emerged
Counter-culture
counter culture
Some defined it as including all who protested against the dominant culture such as feminists, anti-war activists, the Black Panthers and hippes
hippie counter culture
Hippie counterculture developed from the beat generation. The greatest counter-culture happening was the Woodstock festival in NY in 1969 which 400,000 attended. Their slogan was ‘make love, not war’. The hippie movement had faded by the mid-1970s, but it had influenced US society. Hippies drew attention to and popularised the liberalisation of attitudes towards sex and drugs. They also helped trigger the conservative reaction that led to Nixon’s win compared to the anti-war protests they were insignificant
what book sparked the feminist movement
The Feminine Mystique published by Betty Friedan in 1963
what feelings did Friedan’s book create
The book challenged social limits on women and sparked hidden ambition in women, the feelings the book created ignited the feminist movement.
what group did Friedan create
In 1966 she and others formed the National Organisation for Women.
why was NOW founded and what was its main grievance
In 1966, they issued a statement of purpose explaining why the organisation was needed - it contained dismantling prejudices. The organisers were unhappy when the government’s Equal Employment Opportunities Commission refused to enforce Title VII of the 1964 CRA which banned discrimination in employment based on race and sex. NOW aimed to monitor the enforcement of the legislation and to demand an amendment to the constitution that affirmed women’s right to equality
tactics used by NOW
Litigation
Political Pressure
Public Information Campaigns
Protests
Consciousness Raising