SUBCULTURE OF HIPPIES
Culture plays a very important role in continuing the values and norms of a society. It also offers lots of opportunities for people to be creative. These creative people become a cultural subgroup outside the core of the dominant culture and they are called a subculture. According to Wikipedia.com “People in a subculture have distinct sets of behavior and beliefs that differentiate them from a larger culture of which they are a part of.” They have distinctive styles of dress, activity and music. They are also differentiated from the rest of the society by their cultural patterns. Various popular subcultures can be found throughout the world. People around the world have also been able to adopt popular subcultures as their own, and at times, adding one’s own taste and points of view. Several subcultures flourished and are flourishing in America today because of the almost fundamental need for people to belong and when we think of some of the popular subcultures of America we think of Naturalists, Goths, Punks, Hip-Hop, Rave, Teen, Beats, Gays and Lesbians etc. However, one of the most famous and influential subculture that has impacted America in terms of beliefs, lifestyle, music, and art, has been the Hippies.
Hippies were a radical group that shocked America with their alternative lifestyle and beliefs in the 60's. The hippie movement originally started in San Francisco, California and were mostly made up of young generation like the white middle-class Americans between the ages of 15 to 25. They came from many different places and had many different backgrounds. They didn't follow the teachings of their elders and left their homes and started living in streets, parks or group homes. Many hippies moved to Haight Ashbury in San Francisco, East Village in New York City, or lived in communes. Their homes, vehicles and other possessions were often decorated with psychedelic art. They did not work or go to church, but were party animals. They grew their hair long and freely participated in sexual activities. They were often vegetarian and eco-friendly. They wanted to escape the cruel and cold American society, so they built their own world to break out of reality.
Hippies in the sixties were all about freedom and questioning authority. However, they opposed violence and had a non-judgmental "do your own things" attitude. They were open-minded and liberated. They preferred to be nude; it fit with their "be one with the earth philosophy." They also expressed their views of being liberated through their clothes. The Hippies movement was fueled by a want for peace and the hippie fashion reflected the idea of peace between others and the environment. They dressed with a loose sort of fashion. The fashion was derived along the "anything goes" line. They felt free wearing long flared clothes, as if there were no wars or hate in the world. Fashion jewelry and accessories during the time included long earrings, bandanas and other head gear, scarves and bracelets and rings that flaunted the peace symbols. Flowers strongly emphasized the hippie movement and they were used to represent peace and love. The hippies sported floral patterns on dresses and skirts and jeans. It was mostly home-made clothing or brought from second-hand shops and it was all made of natural fibers like cotton, linen, silk, and leather. Artificial flower tiaras and real flowers were worn in the hair. Hippies fashion was an expression of a generation free from societal restriction, out to find a new meaning of life.
Hippies were very different from the conservative middle class who could not relate to them and saw them as aliens. They longed for meaning and understanding of the world. In order to help them to open their mind to new understandings and philosophies they started using "soft" drugs like marijuana and LSD. They believed that the psychedelic drugs helped to expand one's consciousness. According to Cohen, co-founder of the San Francisco Oracle, "those who took LSD "were not guilty of using illegal substances...We were celebrating transcendental consciousness, the beauty of the universe, the beauty of being." Some hippies also used drugs to express their disaffection with societal norms. One of the basic foundations of the Hippie movement was the liberal use of illegal drugs.
Hippies were notorious for their out of ordinary music. They were very creative and used music as a way to get their thoughts, beliefs, feelings and ideas out. They utilized music through a fusion of rock music, folk, blues, and psychedelic rock to express themselves emotionally, spiritually, and politically and spread their culture worldwide. Some of the songs they created had great impact on the society and also broke new ground musically. Their songs basically made people think and dream. Four hundred thousand (400,000) young people gathered in a spirit of love and sharing at The Woodstock Music Festival which represents the pinnacle of the hippie movement. Immortalized by The Beatles, Twiggy, and anyone that went to Woodstock, this look was all about color, flower power, corduroys and looking laid-back.
Hippies were the first people to notice the need for change in America. Their behavior and actions were totally influenced by politics. They were very skeptical of the government and its associated authority. They wanted a society based on love, trust, tolerance and also wanted to accomplish world peace. They had strong feelings about Vietnam War and wanted the troops back home. A lot of hippies took part in several peace demonstrations. They also took part in civil rights movement and fought for racial equality. Their main goal was to create an ideal setting of peace, love and harmony. They took a stand and made peace and love possible.
Much of hippie style had been integrated into mainstream American society by the early 1970s. The effects of hippie movement are still felt today. Their culture lives on in the way people dress and groom. We see people everywhere with long hair, wearing blue jeans and colorful clothing. A wide range of personal appearance options and clothing styles, including nudity, have become more widely acceptable, all of which was uncommon before the hippie era. The cultural changes brought by the hippies were great and the changes brought by the hippie-movement to our daily lives were absolutely essential. They have also contributed big time to the strengthening of individual behavior. Today's society is enjoying the benefits like freedom of speech and equal opportunities for minorities because of the persistent efforts of the hippies. There has been a widespread influence of hippies and adoption of their culture throughout the world. They believed in peace, love and freedom and they continue to inspire many people who believe and work for the same values.
Works Cited
"Hippie." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 25 Jan. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippie>.
Huber, Adam, Chris Lemieux, and Marlon Hollis. "The Hippie Generation: A Look Into the Hippie Culture"
Saville, Rose. "The Hippie Movement of the 1960s." Suite101.com: Online Magazine and Writers' Network. 5 Sept. 2010. Web. 25 Jan. 2011. <http://www.suite101.com/content/the-hippie-movement
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