Essay about Popular Culture in the 1960's

Submitted By jazz_alexander
Words: 2083
Pages: 9

SOSE Multi-Modal Script
Para 1:
Intro statement +what life was like in the 1960’s

The 1960’s in Australia were a decade of change. It was the beginning of many things including women’s and aboriginal rights. The 60s were when the children of a post war era began to mature and influenced by the Australian cultural landscape and started to lean new things such as changing beliefs. These influences resulted in large protests and demonstrations against many issues including the Vietnam War, women’s rights, fair wages, free education and the recognition of aboriginal rights according to (1960s – Decade in context, n.d.). These events are all apart of Australian popular culture in the 1960s, towards the late 60’s, the international satellite system was connected to the Australian television. As a result of this, television shows could be shown live between capital cities and even people in remote parts of Australia were able to get the broadcasts. Australia was able to be apart of global events such as the first landing on the moon in 1969. Another event that occurred during the late 1960’s was that many young people embraced the alternate hippie lifestyle. The hippie movement included a rebellious style of clothing; a new respect for nature and the hippies experimented with drugs such as marihuana and LSD. These changes were reflected in new fashions, music and even hairstyles. The dominant beliefs of this time; are the beliefs that women should not wear clothing that come above the knee and should be restricted to having a life of raising children taking care of the house. In the 60’s gender restrictive roles were a strong belief that men should be working and women should stay at home and raise the children. Many beliefs started to change in the 60’s such as the women’s rights, aboriginal rights, the hippie life style became more popular and the technology started to change in the 1960’s.

Para 2:
5 significant items from chosen decade:
1- Women’s rights-
The popular culture of women’s rights started to change towards the late 1960’s. Women began to rebel against the restrictive gender roles that were given to them by society. Many women began to believe that there was more to life than raising children and taking care of the house. As an affect of this new generation, women began to protest and pressure governments into giving them equal rights to men in the workplace, politics, education and sport. The birth control pill was introduced during the 1960’s and was a symbol of women obtaining sexual freedom and allowing them to decide when or if they wanted children.

2-The Beatles-
America was the icon of pop music and fashion for many young people in the beginning of the 1960’s. By late 1963, the Beatles who were a English rock band, started to become more and more popular and America began to lose its influence on the Australian music industry. The Beatles preformed 32 concerts in 8 cites in three weeks in Australia and New Zealand. There were 50,000 requests for tickets and 12,000 tickets were sold for these concerts, according to Australian tours by overseas artists 1964-75 (n.d. para. 3).

3-The hippie movement
In the 1960’s, many of the Australian youth believed that they could make a new world filled with peace and love. This was called the hippie movement. The younger generation started rebelling, as they did not like the rules and regulations set by the older generation. The hippie movement consisted of psychedelic floral clothes and growing beards became apart of the evolving counter-culture. “It was flower power, tree hugging days” according to Doug Parkinson (n.d.) who lived through this era. Hippies wanted to free themselves what social restrictions and wanted to make their own path in life. This made the hippies immediately distinguishable to each other and acted as a visual symbol of their respect for individual rights and how they continue to question authority. The hippie movement was the cause of many