The Spirit of the Sixties

Course Description

The 1960s was a turbulent era of great social change as well as a revolution in consciousness. It was a time when the growth of a counter-culture and an anti-establishment phenomenon pervaded much of North American society. Through movements that championed Civil Rights, Women’s Liberation, Free Speech, and Anti-Vietnam War protests to the Sexual Revolution, the very foundations of society were challenged and its culture forever altered. The ’60s galvanized the youth of that time to question the precepts and values of North America, and to posit a lifestyle and philosophy that was radical in its rejection of the norms. Throughout this course, we will ask questions such as: What were the concerns and possible ideologies at the heart of each movement? What positive things came out of that decade in terms of social changes; values; and culture, particularly music? Were the changes that came about abiding, or were they limited by having been born of youthful idealism? Was the radicalness of the ’60s ultimately necessary to effect change? Is our current society better for what the youth movements of the ’60s sought to accomplish, or is a reflection on the spirit of the ’60s little more than nostalgia for the past?

Books to purchase:

Charters, Ann, editor. The Portable Sixties Reader.

O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried.

Course Details