Essay about The Counterculture

Because of their nonjudgmental lifestyle, freedom of speech, conduct, and dress were common. The use of psychedelic drugs such as marijuana and LSD was supported because it gave people a “free” feeling. Hippies went against the norm with their clothing choices, often wearing brightly colored, loose fitting items.4 Tie-dyed t-shirts, bell bottoms, beads, and sandals were most commonly seen and both men and women typically had long hair.5 Men also grew out their beards and women wore little to no makeup.6

The hippie movements of the sixties were driven by a plethora of factors. There were many new technologies that were being introduced in this period, a war against Communism around the globe, internal struggles against several types of injustices, a growing drug culture, and several other important developments. To say the least, it was a volatile period in American history and many sub-cultures were actively seeking to carve out new paths that were starkly different than the traditional norms. These generations who rejected traditional culture helped carve out a new trajectory for the United States and the movements influences can still be felt to this day.

Hippie drug use was more than just use, it was the practice of psychedelic drugs, in order to spread love and happiness. Some of the many drugs hippies used were LSD (acid), mushrooms, DMT, marijuana, amphetamines, and narcotics. Hippies most often used the drugs and others that fall into the psychedelic hallucinogenic category. Hippies were referred to as “drug using counterculture shared belief in better living through chemistry” (Wesson). The hallucinogen drugs were for mind-expansion, seeing the world through colors. All in order to get crazy high to spread love, peace, and happiness. This was more of a spiritual practice for hippies. The easiest and most common way for them to use these drugs was by rolling them in paper and smoking them. As one can see, the drug use in the hippie culture was a very important toll for the peace, love, and happiness aspect of the culture.

From the 1960s to the 1970s, the Hippie Movement was apart of the counterculture era. This was an age of renewal and change amongst society. People known as Hippies focused on pursuing a life different from the one proposed by mainstream culture. Hippies followed transcendentalism, which influenced their idealism of their understanding of nature and society. They often used drugs such as psychedelics, amphetamines, methamphetamine, and marijuana to experience spiritual and artistic awareness as well as self-fulfillment. They created a new culture of teenagers and young adults who dressed and acted differently from those before them. Hippies focused on experimentation and redefining themselves. Hippies helped influenced music, television, film, literature, and the arts and changed the societal norms.

These include popular music, television, film, literature, and the arts. The music industry in particular was helped tremendously by the Hippie movement. They help many rock festivals including Woodstock which was free to get in and featured performers such as Jimmie Hendrix and . Hippies help set the standards for cultural and religious acceptance. Even fashion was impacted as the popularity of the necktie and other business apparel declined and was replaced by more casual dress standards.

The weather was also really bad which prevented some people from working, and the economy got even worse. Counterculture In the 1960s young people began to move away from the conservative lifestyle of the time. The people who were involved in this movement were known as hippies.

On the one hand, the civil rights movement was a must priority; and on the other, the hippies were well aware of the costs to society. This created a "counterculture" that sparked a social revolution throughout much of the Western world. It began in the United States as a reaction against the conservatism and social conformity of the 1950s, and the intervention of the U.S. government into Vietnam. The youth involved in the popular social aspects of the counterculture movement became well known and publicized in music, media, and the arts. As groups (the hippies) created a movement toward liberation in society, including the sexual revolution, questioning authority and government, and demanding more freedoms and rights for women and minorities. The Underground Press, a widespread, diverse assortment of newspapers served as a unifying medium for the counterculture. The movement was also marked by the first widespread, socially accepted drug use (including LSD and marijuana) and psychedelic

Although hippies began rebelling and opposing the perfect society in the 1960s to the 1970s, their ideas have mostly influenced today’s society. Therefore, the society followed the way of life as naturally. They turned to take the basic clothes in the daily life. When the thought of freedom spread out of the community, people changed to use the drugs for expressing their feeling of happiness. Additionally, today’s society also accepts sexuality, religion and culture. This significantly leads to the equal society, and the combination of fashion, sexuality and drug use in American society. Anyway, belief, culture, and language are transferred from one generation to other generation. It is similar to the chain that closely relates to humans in several parts around the world. Every person knows well that the history really affects today’s society, both in positive and negative ways. Occasionally, it relies on people whether they will choose to follow correctly or

The Woodstock Festival in 1969 was the most historical concert of the hippie movement. It influenced people who experienced it first hand, and those who merely heard about it. The hippies were also defined by their unique and unconventional fashion and appearances. Hippies often had long hair, and wore beads and loose, flowy clothing. Theywere often dirty looking or unwashed.

The Hippie Counter Culture began in 1960. The hippie era was influenced more by personal happiness in which books, music, and fashion followed as result of their personification of a blissful society. Hippies did not care what others thought of them and their motto was “if it feels good, do it”. Hippies were seeking a utopian society. They participated in street theater and listened to psychedelic rock. As part of their culture they embraced more open sexual encounters amongst each other in their community and believed in use of psychedelic drugs which consisted of marijuana and LSD. The fashion choice that hippies dressed in was due to set them apart from the mainstream society. They choose to buy their clothing from thrift shops and flea markets (Haddock, 2011). Clothing choices are described as “brightly colored, ragged clothes, tie-dyed t-shirts, beads, sandals (or barefoot), and jewelry” (Haddock, 2011, para 7). Hippies also referred

The Hippie Movement changed the politics and the culture in America in the 1960s. When the nineteen fifties turned into the nineteen sixties, not much had changed, people were still extremely patriotic, the society of America seemed to work together, and the youth of America did not have much to worry about, except for how fast their car went or what kind of outfit they should wear to the Prom. After 1963, things started to slowly change in how America viewed its politics, culture, and social beliefs, and the group that was in charge of this change seemed to be the youth of America. The Civil Rights Movement, President Kennedy’s death, new music, the birth control pill, the growing illegal drug market, and

But many of the upper and middle class did not like this outlook on life. In a world where the upper classes were on top, and they had everything they wanted, they saw no reason for change in society. The movement started with a few small groups of rebellious citizens, and it then grew into something much bigger which led to a counterculture movement across the entire country.

For the first time in American history, a large population of people of all ages, classes, and races came together to challenge the traditional institutions, traditional values in society, and "the establishment" in general. Youth, women, ethnic minorities, environmentalists, migrant workers and others caused the emergence of the counter culture. This cultural movement from 1960 to 1973 was caused by many factors. This era was one that was filled with many important events that shaped the way that Americans viewed life. Those who were unhappy with what was going on around them and took part in this social phenomenon reflected and demonstrated their attitudes, values, and ideals in many ways. Various things from

Francis of Assisi, Henry David Thoreau, and Gandhi, as well as others. Some people considered the hippie movement to be a religious reform. Following in the footsteps of The Beats, the hippies also used marijuana, considering it pleasurable and benign. Other than marijuana, the most commonly used drug among the hippies was the hallucinogen LSD, more commonly known as acid. They also used other hallucinogens such as psilocybin and mescaline. They used these drugs to achieve self-exploration and believed these drugs were capable of “Expanding your consciousness in order to find ecstasy and revelation within.” Amphetamines and heroin were also used in hippie settings; however, these drugs were considered harmful and addictive.

One of the basic foundations of the Hippie movement was the excessive use of illegal drugs. The Hippies used many drugs, but