swinging sixties

Question 1

describe music as part of the swinging 60s:

Answer 1

-new shows like top of the pops helped spread the latest music trends
-beatles symbolised the decade
-music could be interpreted as a broad protests against the system and the establishment

Question 2

describe fashion as part of the swinging 60s:

Answer 2

-london was the fashion capital of the world
-women began to wear trousers and men began to wear satins and brightly coloured fabrics
-Mary Quant = famous designer, popularised more relaxed clothes and short tunic dresses in bright colours
-model Twiggy adopted Quant’s trademark

Question 3

describe sex as part of the swinging 60s:

Answer 3

-new norms about sex
-10% of children born in 1970 were from unmarried mothers
-the new availability of the pill allowed people to experiment
-was more common for couples to live together before they were married
-same sex relationships started to be seen as normal

Question 4

describe drugs as part of the swinging 60s:

Answer 4

-psychedelic drugs became popular, particularly with the young middle class
-emerging hippy culture centred around smoking cannabis
-a parliamentary debate in 1969 confirmed there were 1 million cannabis users and almost 3000 heroin users
-the 1967 summer of love in san Francisco increased the use of drugs
-BUT alcohol tobacco and caffeine were used more than illegal drugs

Question 5

describe protests as part of the swinging 60s:

Answer 5

-CND held many marches
-many unis became scenes of protests
-vietnam solidarity campaign set up in 1966
-in 1968 there was a violent anti vietnam war demonstration in London, also the battle of grovesnor square
-also protests for women’s rights and the decriminalisation for homosexuality

Question 6

describe locations/tourism as part of the swinging 60s:

Answer 6

-in 1960 london had 1.5million foreign visitors
-gov. invested lots into tourism industry e.g. wilson offered funding for new hotels
-‘the scene’ of the swinging 60s = exclusive shops restaurants and nightclubs in soho, carnaby street and leicester square
-london’s population began to change as families moved out to the suburbs
-growth of middle class bohemianism

Question 7

arguments that the swinging sixties were NOT much of a phenomenon:

Answer 7

-the new icons of the decade lived similar lives to that of the old etonian classes
-many believed london had become cheapened and vulgarised
-sunday times poll in 1966 = majority were bored of hearing about swinging london in the media
-new lavish lifestyle only centered in london
-north south divide
-underground culture was very small and localised
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