Sociology 121: Midterm Review (The 1960s)

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the key sociological and historical concepts of the 1960s as outlined in the midterm review sheet.

“Tragic Era” of the $1960s$

The characterization of the decade as a period that began with the U.S. being wealthy and optimistic but ended with division over Vietnam, racial conflict, urban riots, and government distrust.

Post-WWII U.S. Economic Dominance

In $1947$, the U.S. produced about half of the world’s manufactured goods and held the strongest military, largely because Europe and Japan were devastated by war.

The Cold War

A global struggle between capitalism and communism involving the U.S. and the Soviet Union following the spread of communism into Eastern Europe after WWII.

Truman Doctrine

A $1947$ U.S. policy established by President Truman to stop the spread of communism by providing money, weapons, or support to countries under Soviet threat.

Liberal Consensus

The belief during the Kennedy-Johnson years that capitalism and economic growth, managed by government and experts, could defeat communism and create a more equal society.

Immediate Post-War Population Changes

A period characterized by the baby boom, suburban growth, increased education, and rising middle-class wealth driven by economic prosperity.

Leftist Alienation from Consumer Society

The feeling among intellectuals and artists that America’s focus on material wealth and conformity was shallow, leading to a search for deeper meaning in arts and music.

The Beats

A group of writers and artists, including Allen Ginsberg (Howl) and Jack Kerouac (On the Road), who rejected conformity and experimented with drugs in search of creativity.

Greenwich Village Folk Music Revival

A musical movement that used folk music to promote social change and challenge conformity, specifically regarding civil rights and inequality.

Michael Harrington

An author who argued that U.S. poverty was hidden and structural, requiring government intervention like housing and welfare reforms to eliminate.

Affluence and the Left

Economic prosperity provided the freedom for the Left to critique consumerism and inequality more visibly, though their intellectual traditions already existed.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A confrontation triggered by the Soviet placement of nuclear missiles in Cuba; it ended with a U.S. blockade and a Soviet agreement to remove the missiles in exchange for a U.S. promise not to invade Cuba.

The Right in the $1960s$

A political movement centered on limited government, free markets, strong moral order, and traditional values.

McCarthyism

A fear-driven hunt for suspected communists in the U.S. government, Hollywood, and universities during the Cold War, often involving punishment without proof.

Barry Goldwater

A conservative leader who wrote Conscience of a Conservative, advocating for small government, individual freedom, and strong opposition to communism.

William F. Buckley

A conservative intellectual and founder of National Review who helped organize the movement by attacking liberalism and promovering traditional values.

Goldwater Campaign Influence

Despite losing the election, this campaign built the modern conservative movement into a lasting force by organizing students, suburbanites, and anti-communists.

Demography

The study of changes in population characteristics including birth rates, death rates, migration, age, race, and education levels.

Baby Boom Causes

Driven by post-WWII economic prosperity and higher wages, which gave people the confidence to marry earlier and afford more children.

Status Attainment Studies

Sociological studies examining how family background, education, and ability influence an individual’s occupational success and social status.

Sewell and Shah Study

A study finding that while intelligence matters, family background strongly shapes a student’s aspirations and opportunities for college.

Higher Education Enrollment Growth

Increase in college students during the $1950s$ and $1960s$ due to the baby boom, the GI Bill, economic prosperity, and the Cold War-era demand for skilled workers.

Civil Rights vs. Civil Liberties

Civil rights ensure equal treatment and protection against discrimination, whereas civil liberties are basic individual freedoms like speech and religion.

Reconstruction

The period from $1865$ to $1877$ where the U.S. attempted to rebuild the South and integrate formerly enslaved people using the $13$, $14$, and $15$ amendments.

“Separate but Equal” / Jim Crow Laws

Legal doctrines and laws that enforced racial segregation in the South, maintaining social and economic inequality after Reconstruction.

Involuntary Migrants

People forced to move against their will, specifically referring to enslaved Africans and their descendants in the context of American history.

Doug McAdam’s Theory

The argument that the Civil Rights Movement succeeded due to expanding political opportunities, strong Black organizations, and increased protest awareness.

Black Power

A movement emphasizing Black pride, self-determination, and the demand for political and social control within Black communities.

Martin Luther King, Jr. vs. Malcolm X

King focused on nonviolence and integration, while Malcolm X promoted self-defense, pride, and independence from white society.

Causes of $1960s$ Urban Riots

Frustrations rooted in poverty, unemployment, poor housing, and police brutality within urban Black communities.

The War on Poverty vs. the Great Society

The War on Poverty was a specific set of anti-poverty programs, while the Great Society was a broader reform plan including healthcare, education, and civil rights.

Maximum Feasible Participation

A principle in community action programs intended to empower the poor by letting them participate in planning and running the programs.

The Moynihan Report

A controversial report linking Black poverty to family instability and single-parent households, often criticized for focusing on culture rather than structural racism.

The Coleman Report

A study concluding that academic success is influenced more by family background and peer environment than by school funding or resources.