Counter Culture and The Suburban Ideal

Counter Culture and The Suburban Ideal

Introduction

What do Bob Dylan, Elvis, John Lennon and John F. Kennedy have in common? They all were icons during the same age for different reasons. The 50's and the 60's was an era when the American youth found a new kind of freedom. They felt liberated, and their actions were, by the most conservative historians, termed as rebellious. It is said by some that the 50's and the 60's were a tranquil time. On the face of it, it might even be true if viewed in the backdrop of the Second World War. However, the society at that time was in a flux. There was rapid movement, rapid increase in capital and a rapid increase in freedom.

The factor of questioning the norms ran like a common thread throughout the members of the American youth. These youths had seen the horrors of the war and had started raising serious concerns about the need for war. The emphasis shifted to concepts related to peace and environment. They criticized their government in going to war against a much weaker adversary. In all, they rejected all forces that were even remotely engaged in coercion.

Discussion

Background

The so called counterculture movement during the 60's and the 70's showed a general loss of trust in the American government. Due to new found liberty and ready opportunities of earning cash at a young age, these youngsters showed willingness to experiment with things not considered normal. Their experimentation towards the later years bordered on the dangerous and did cause some loss of life. These counter culture revolutionaries tended to be predominantly white and young, full of energy and the joy of being free. They were also well educated and came from sound economic backgrounds. They would experiment with previous taboo labeled issues like sex, marriage, drugs and other social arrangements. The driving force behind this revolution was the power post-World War 2 economy. The same economy was continuing to drive the American war machine and the Big Cars (Walsh, P. 2010). These experiments often came into direct conflict with the current social order. American youth was also speaking out against coercion, be it on the battlefield or within the walls of a school. It was these baby boomers who were part and parcel of the counter culture movement.

The Suburban Ideal and Counterculture

The idea behind suburbanization centered on the concept ...