What were the main features of youth culture in the 1960s?

The feature of the youth culture in Britain in the 1960s was seen as a time for change and independence for young people. Some of the main features of the 1960s were Youth Groups, Fashions, Music, Protest and Rebellion and Laws. Many young people in the 1960s had disposable income, increased mobility such as scooters and motorbikes, more opportunities and more leisure time. They were also changing their views especially with music, fashion, sex and drugs.

Young people were often expressing their feelings in pop music. In 1963 a pop band from Liverpool, called The Beatles had achieved great popularity so that the focus music had been moved to Britain from America. The Rolling Stones were a more controversial a group as they sang songs about masculinity. “Let’s spend the night together” and “I can’t get no satisfaction these are to of The Rolling Stones songs which symbolizes sex and became a symbol for sexual permissiveness. By the end of the 1960s psychedelic music became more popular. Many bands like The Beatles were accepted by adults and the young audience this became main stream. In the 1970s The Beatles had split up so the focus of music had moved back to the USA. The BBC gave only limited time to pop music so many private radio stations devoted to pop music began broadcasting. Radio 1 set up so that they could reflect the importance of pop music. In the1960s TV programmes such as “Ready Steady Go” and “Six, five special” were seen as programmes for the young audience.

Young people in the 1960s tried to dress and look different from their parents as much as possible. London became the fashion capital of the world. The adolescents were often shopping on The King’s Road and Carnaby Street as it was a trend-setting centre. It was in these places where new fashions started to grow such as the mini-skirt. Mary Quant was a popular designer in the 1960s because she created styles which young people wanted to wear. Many models like Twiggy and Timothy Leary set the trends for new fashions. Many young people were protesting and rebelling against ...

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Another feature of the 1960s was that there were many youth groups; Teddy Boys, Rockers, Mods, Beatniks, Hippies and Skinheads. Each of these groups were different from each other and had their own distinctive style.

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(a) In what different ways did people react to the so-called “Swinging Sixties”?

The “Swinging Sixties” can be described as a time when young people were making the pace and when society seemed to be changing not only very fast but also for the better. There were different reactions to the “Swinging Sixties”. Some people were negative, others were positive and some just reacted indifferently.

Some people welcomed the “Swinging Sixties” on personal freedom and independence. Many young people could make their own decisions on important issues such as; Civil rights, The Vietnam War and CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament). Others welcomed changes in the law especially with homosexuality, abortion and the Contraceptive pill. Young people also welcomed the changes because many had the opportunity to have disposable income, more spare time due to less working hours, leisure activities such as traveling and Timothy Leary encouraged the hippy culture. A model named Mary Quant became rich through the new fashion especially with the mini skirt. For many young people women the “Swinging Sixties” brought freedom.

Some people reacted negatively because many were used to the conservative way of life. Many adults viewed the changes more negatively and thought that the young people were becoming selfish and irresponsible. Many adults saw the mini-skirt and the contraceptive pill as decline in moral standards. Many Whitehouse a school wanted more censorship. So she launched a national campaign and was founder of the Women of Britain Clean up TV campaign. She once quoted that “It became necessary because of the built-in censorship which, the BBC exerts against much which is good and clean in our national culture.” This shows that she was very unhappy about the decline in moral standards.

Some people reacted ambivalently or had no reaction at all. Many didn’t seem to experience affluence of the “Swinging Sixties”. New fashions were not always appropriate for certain groups. Poorer areas in the north reacted ambivalently due to the structural unemployment they were suffering.

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(b) Why did people act react so differently?

There many reasons why people acted so differently because of the age differences. Many young people show the “Swinging Sixties” as time for freedom and welcome the new era in a positive light.

Another reason why people acted so differently is due to class differences, religious beliefs and the fact that many people pleaded for the homosexuality law to be lifted which was finally lifted in 1967.

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Many people argued that the 1960s created a “permissive society”. Explain whether you agree with this view

Fashion was one of the key areas that created a permissive society for; Two young men were modeling fashions for a London department store in 1967, the King’s Road and Carnaby Street in London became the trend-setting centre for young people and it was here that new fashions like the mini-skirt were first seen.

However there are examples when fashions did not create a permissive society, for example many people in the north were suffering from structural development so were not really interested in fashion.

Music is another key area that created a permissive society, for example; there was more casual attitudes towards sex e.g. “Let’s spend the night together”, a song by The Rolling Stones this shows a change in the song lyrics compared to romantic ideas to 1960s songs. Some of these lyrics in certain songs were simply the shock the older generation but they did reflect actual changes in people’s lives.

In contrast there are examples when music did not create a permissive society, for instance Paul McCartney quotes “It was never as crazy as they used to say it was. If you’d see s bunch of kids coming towards you, you could stop them. They’d only want your autograph; and you could chat” this quote show that people could easily have access to big stars and you wouldn’t need the amount of security you needed today.

Law is also a key area that created a permissive society there are many examples such as; homosexuality and abortion ceased to be criminal offences in 1967, capital punishment ended in 1965, censorship laws became less strict e.g. “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” could be read openly after ban was lifted in 1960s, shows like “Hair” and “Oh Calcutta” were allowed to show nudity and had a multicultural casts and fashions became more revealing e.g. mini-skirts and micro-skirts. These are some of the many areas which created a permissive society.

How ever the contraceptive pill was not that widely available (Family Planning Clinics 1967, NHS 1974), many people disagreed with the changes and greater freedom of expression. One those many people was Many Whitehouse a school wanted more censorship. So she launched a national campaign and was founder of the Women of Britain Clean up TV campaign. She once quoted that “It became necessary because of the built-in censorship which, the BBC exerts against much which is good and clean in our national culture.” This quote also shows that things are changing and she is not happy that the young generation is rebelling from the conservative way of life.

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