In-Depth Notes on Social Revolutions of the 1960s

Revolt in Sexual Mores

• Impact of World War I:
  • Initiated changes in 19th-century morals and manners.
  • Led to experimentation with drugs and the appearance of pornography.
• 1920s Developments:
  • Experiments in major cities; limited reach.
  • Example: Berlin police issued cards for homosexual prostitutes.
• Post-World War II Changes:
  • More extensive changes in sexual orientation and behavior.
  • Emergence of the "permissive society."
• Sweden's Role:
  • Initiated the sexual revolution in the 1960s.
  • Implemented sex education and decriminalization of homosexuality.
• Global Spread:
  • Gay rights movements began in 1969 California, spreading to Europe by 1970.

Changes in Sexual Behavior in the 1960s

• Introduction of Birth Control Pill:
  • Available in the mid-1960s; increased sexual freedom.
• Cultural Shifts:
  • Rise of sexually explicit media (movies, books).
  • Cities like Amsterdam became tourist destinations for open prostitution.
• Family Structure Changes:
  • Increased divorce rates and premarital/extramarital experiences.
  • 1968 survey in the Netherlands: 78% men and 86% women reported extramarital sex.
• Playboy Magazine:
  • Emerged in the 1950s; combined nudity with articles on masculinity advocating sexual gratification outside marriage.

Youth Protest and Student Revolt in the 1960s

• Emergence of Drug Culture:
  • Predominantly marijuana among college students.
  • Timothy Leary popularized LSD as a means for transcendental experiences.
• Youth Movement:
  • Questioned authority and rebelling against older generations.
  • Inspired by political events like the Vietnam War, escalating to a protest movement by the late 1960s.

Higher Education and Student Revolts

• Pre- and Post-War Education:
  • Before WWII: Reserved for the wealthy.
  • Post-War: Increased access leading to classroom overcrowding and authoritarian administration.
• 1960s Protests:
  • Revolts arose from dissatisfaction with educational relevance and teaching environments.
  • 1968 famous protest in France inspired movements elsewhere; notable dissent regarding American interventions.

Factors Leading to Student Radicalism

• Motivations:
  • Desire for university reform and broader societal critique (e.g., against Vietnam War and materialism).
• Influence of Herbert Marcuse:
  • Argued capitalism represses dissatisfaction and suggested education for liberation.
• Protests and Backlash:
  • Attempts at revolutionary changes met with police repression; mixed public support.

The Feminist Movement

• Women’s Rights Assertion:
  • By late 1960s, women began mobilizing for equality; not achieved despite political/legal advances.
• Voices of Feminism:
  • British Women's Liberation Workshop emphasized social, economic, and educational oppression.
  • Betty Friedan’s contributions through her book "The Feminine Mystique" (1963) detailed women’s dissatisfaction and called for a movement for equality.
  • 1966: Friedan founded the National Organization for Women (NOW) to advocate for women's rights.

Antiwar Protests

• Vietnam War Protests:
  • Mobilized youth in Europe and the U.S.; perceived as imperial aggression.
  • In 1968, massive demonstrations in major cities (e.g., 30,000 in London).
• Cultural Backlash:
  • Violence and chaos led to mixed reactions from the public, with some supporting order over protest.
• Significant Events:
  • Kent State University shooting (1970) intensified antiwar sentiments and activism, weakening the willingness to continue the war.
  • Both antiwar and domestic unrest increased the appeal of conservative calls for "law and order" in the political arena.

Impact of World War I:

• Initiated changes in morals and manners.
• Led to drug experimentation and pornography emergence.

1920s Developments:

• Limited experimentation in major cities (e.g., Berlin police cards for homosexual prostitutes).

Post-World War II Changes:

• Extensive changes in sexual orientation/behavior; onset of "permissive society."

Sweden's Role:

• Led the sexual revolution in the 1960s via sex education and decriminalization of homosexuality.

Global Spread:

• Gay rights movements began in 1969 California, spreading to Europe by 1970.

1960s Changes in Sexual Behavior:

• Birth Control Pill: Increased sexual freedom since mid-1960s.
• Cultural Shifts: Rise in sexually explicit media; cities like Amsterdam became open prostitution destinations.
• Family Structure: Higher divorce rates and extramarital experiences; 1968 Netherlands survey: 78% men, 86% women had extramarital sex.
• Playboy Magazine: Emerged in the 1950s promoting sexual gratification outside marriage.

Youth Protest and Student Revolt in the 1960s:

• Drug Culture: Marijuana among students; LSD popularized by Timothy Leary.
• Youth Movement: Rebellion against authority, influenced by Vietnam War protests.

Higher Education and Student Revolts:

• Pre-War: Education for the wealthy; post-war: overcrowding and authoritarianism.
• 1960s Protests: Dissatisfaction with education, notable 1968 French protests.

Factors Leading to Student Radicalism:

• Motivations: University reform desiring broader critique against Vietnam War.
• Protests: Revolutionary attempts faced police repression and mixed public support.

The Feminist Movement:

• Late 1960s: Women mobilized for equality despite limited achievements.
• Voices of Feminism: British Women's Liberation Workshop; Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique" prompted the National Organization for Women (NOW).

Antiwar Protests:

• Vietnam War mobilized youth; mixed public reactions to protests; significant events like Kent State University shooting intensified antiwar sentiments.