Question

The Decade of the 1960’s
While being two completely different decades, the 1960’s is seen as being an extension of the 1950’s except for the fact that people were living much looser lifestyles. While in the 1950’s men wore suits, women dresses, boys had flat top haircuts and girls wearing braids and pigtails, the 1960’s saw the beginning of people wear more colorful outfits and having more “unkempt” hairstyles. These people would stop listening to upbeat folk songs from the 1950’s, but rather would start listening to music that reflected the era of the Cold War and the angst of fighting in the Vietnam War.
The 1960’s also saw the invention of the Hippie counterculture movement. These people, much like the Beatniks in the previous decade, did not adhere to the way society looked and act. Instead, they wore extremely loose clothing that was tie dyed, attended Rock N’ Roll festivals, stereotypically didn’t wash themselves and did many illegal substances. One of the most famous of these festivals was called Woodstock in 1969 where many famous groups like Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Joan Baez. The older generation didn’t like how these people looked and likely thought they were wasting their time with childish things and should grow up. At the end of the day, these Hippies were about living free and against the war in Vietnam.
Questions Directions: Please highlight the proof for all of the questions asked below!
1.How did people in the 50’s and 60’s dress differently?
2. What was the counterculture movement of the 1960’s? How can you describe this counterculture movement?

Answer 1

1) How did people in the 50’s and 60’s dress differently?
- Answer: In the 1950s people dressed more formally and conservatively (men in suits, women in dresses, neat haircuts). In the 1960s clothing became more colorful and relaxed, with looser, less-groomed hairstyles; by the late 1960s hippies wore very loose, tie-dyed clothes.
- Evidence from the passage:
- "men wore suits, women dresses, boys had flat top haircuts and girls wearing braids and pigtails"
- "the 1960’s saw the beginning of people wear more colorful outfits and having more “unkempt” hairstyles"
- "they wore extremely loose clothing that was tie dyed"

2) What was the counterculture movement of the 1960’s? How can you describe this counterculture movement?
- Answer: The counterculture movement was the Hippie movement — a group that rejected mainstream social norms, embraced freer lifestyles (loose/tie-dyed clothing, rock festivals, drug use), opposed the Vietnam War, and sought personal and social freedom.
- Evidence from the passage:
- "The 1960’s also saw the invention of the Hippie counterculture movement."
- "These people, much like the Beatniks in the previous decade, did not adhere to the way society looked and act."
- "Instead, they wore extremely loose clothing that was tie dyed, attended Rock N’ Roll festivals, stereotypically didn’t wash themselves and did many illegal substances."
- "At the end of the day, these Hippies were about living free and against the war in Vietnam."
- (Example festival) "One of the most famous of these festivals was called Woodstock in 1969 where many famous groups like Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Joan Baez."