...Sex and drugs and rock and roll Hypothesis: the 1960’s were the most influential decade when popular culture changed the world Of the many significant events in the 20th century, the two world wars, the cold war and Vietnam, space exploration and the dramatic impacts of automation and technology on everyday life, culminating with the popularity of personal computers and the birth of the internet towards the end of the millennium, arguably no other decade had as significant an impact on popular culture as did the 1960’s. What we witness is a transition from a conformist society at the start of the decade to a counter-culture of anti-war protests, pushes towards racial and sexual equality, free love and drug influences like never before. As...
Words: 1985 - Pages: 8
...2013 The facets of Mexican life that can be studied through the corrido are practically unlimited, and these ballads can be used as historical documents of important aspects of modern Mexican and Chicano life, as well as of the daily trials and tribulations of the pueblo the popular or common classes. Narcocorridos have and can be a positive to Mexican culture. The same cannot be said about its growing influence in American culture. In respect to historical significance of traditional Mexican corrido influences, narcocorridos provide a view of public/popular opinion not otherwise found in the media or other sources similar to the role of rap music in the U.S. Originally before modern technology or radios, corridos were passed along by word of mouth through family, friends, and traveling workers. Although the subject matter has changed, corridos remain rebellious, political, and an oral form of historical narratives. Corridos are often intensely serious, and they have always mirrored social and political concerns. They serve as repositories of both myth and history for a people not often served by mainstream newspapers and other media. Corridos are deeply ingrained in Mexican and Chicano culture, and are a standard form of marking major events in both public and daily life. In the beginning, Mexican corridos mimicked traditional Austrian and German Polk ballads and also had Spanish roots. It wasn't until the Mexican War of Independence that Mexicans began to make the corrido...
Words: 2307 - Pages: 10
...certain feeling so more of this plant or tea were consumed by the people and it evolved. It became known for its good and bad and people used it for good and bad. People had individual experiences and thoughts about those experiences. If it were good, more people used it. Unfortunately, in this world around the 1960’s or so, what was once just used for healing and meditating became something very different and “drugs” became very popular for a lot of other reasons. In our culture, here in the USA, drugs did not continue to be used in a manner like other cultures. It became something bad and forbidden. I know in the Native American culture, they used psychedelic drugs, to open their minds and souls into another realm of consciousness. They taught their children how the old people lived and tradition continued. I’m not too educated on any other culture using substances to do that so I cannot make a claim there. However, I was around and was a teenager in California during the 1970’s, and the 1980’s and 1990’s are a blur to me, so I had first-hand experience as to why people used drugs to alter their state of mind. People liked being high, they liked being happy, laughing, feeling good. Being high...
Words: 586 - Pages: 3
...Essay 1 Word Count: 943 Dating back to as early as the 1920s, the use of drugs in several Western films and other forms of entertainment started to take flight. The portrayal of the drugs used were that of a positive light; being pleasurable, socially acceptable, and even appropriate to use for those that did not live a criminal lifestyle. It wasn’t until the 1960s in which the positive connotations with drugs became contradictory. This was a result of the implementation of stronger drug prohibition laws. Many of the positively represented films were eradicated to make way for more insightful films about drugs – illustrating the true horrors of drugs and consequences of addiction. In these films, Boyd finds the choice in music is a vital key in pursuing the message. Susan Boyd’s ‘Pleasure and Pain’ seeks to explore the historical motifs of drug trafficking, consumption, and addiction through a number of relevant texts dated between the 1960s and the year 2010 in the hope to broaden current representations of drug use in the entertainment industry. The initial views presented in Boyd’s research are that the films and songs about drugs emphasise the risk and dangers of use, along with how it brings pleasure and fun. The works of Coveney and Bunton however propose that pleasures of drug consumption are different in for all contexts in that some cultures may see drug use as pleasurable, while some may not. In turn, they believe the natural urges derived...
Words: 1080 - Pages: 5
...of society in general. They were looking for a change and found it in the emerging counter cultural movements of 1960s. The youngsters began to question the traditional values and culture of the Orthodox American society. They welcomed sex, drugs and pop music. The counter culture movement reached its heights in 1969, when the young people attended the Woodstock Music and Art Festival at Newyork. The festival became a symbol of anti-war movement. The festival was a mixture of hippie, pop and drug culture. One of the notable feature of the counter culture movement was the sexual freedom and rise of feminism. There was a steep rise in abortions, orphans and divorce. Political activism on the part of women resulted in the formation of National organization for Women (NOW). Other than women, homosexuals were also raised their voice for equality which was later included the Civil Rights issue. Stone Wall Inn riots in 1969 and the establishment of Gay Liberation Front were important steps in their struggle for civil rights. The counter cultural sentiments were also expressed in movies and arts. The movement did not limit in North America alone, but spread to Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand. An international rock and roll group from Britain known as the Beatles was widely popular. The counter culture movement had merits and demerits. One the one hand, it stood against the cold war, on the other hand, it rebelled against the traditions of America. The same revolution can be seen...
Words: 863 - Pages: 4
...Music tells a story or paints a picture in your mind about the lives of others and shows how cultures are different and how the cultures have changed. There are many types of music that show how popular cultures have evolved. Many songs tell you stories about the artist’s life. Listening to music from different artists gives a person some perspective of what different cultures are. If one was to listen to some of the music from the fifties, sixties, and the decades since then, they will notice how popular cultures have grown and changed. Many people are also influenced by the music that they listen to. Music sets trends and influences how we dress, act, and respond to situations. If everyone acted like the songs that they listen to, there would be much, more violence in the world than there is now, and there would be lots more babies because of the music that is written about sex, there would be massive drug use because of the music about doing drugs. No matter what the songs are about there are some people who think they have to do what the music is telling them to do because it is the “cool” thing to do. Teenagers try to imitate the artists that they listen to and they want to be like them. Some will even go to extremes to be like the famous people that they admire. The different types of music show that there are many different types of popular culture and the differences may seem big, but in reality they are all closely related. Even though the words may be different...
Words: 289 - Pages: 2
...suspected that drugs have been part of our culture for decades. Researchers have found nomadic drug paraphernalia dating back to as far as 100BC, where it was believed that cavemen were using hallucinogens in hopes for a glimpse of their deity or god. Fast-forward to present day, drugs are more ingrained in our culture than ever. Except rather being used for spiritual purposes, drugs have become a coping mechanism or our ever chaotic society. Dating back to 1973 when the United States officially waged the “War on Drugs”, the federal government alone has spent 1.3 trillion dollars. In comparison, that would be about year’s salary for about 18 million teachers, or able to sustain about 19.2 american families. Not only have we...
Words: 657 - Pages: 3
...listen to what art critics say. I don't know anybody who needs a critic find out what art is.” Jean was a very powerful role model in art culture, to influence and change the perspective of humans who criticizes art for the color of the artists. He didn't mind being judged by looks, when people talked about his personality and despicable awful color for skin he didn't mind. When people criticize his art only by the color of his skin he gets indignant because no one is avow to have the power to criticize people. Jean wanted people to see how it's not a sin to blend different cultures together. Jean Michel Basquiat was an important figure in Black History because he proved to people who judge him his...
Words: 1484 - Pages: 6
...Reflection Two How can one define deviance in a society? Who is considered to be a deviant? In a society, deviance is any behavior or belief that violates the culture’s norms. However, the norms constantly change as the popular culture continues to transform with time. Mass media, on the other hand, is what constantly spreading and influence popular culture as it has becomes part of nearly everyone’s daily life. Since deviance depends in the current culture’s norms, which involves a large group of people in a society, one can say that it learned at a macro level. Therefore, mass media plays an important role in defining deviance socially as it sends powerful messages that spread popular culture to its targeted audience. There are several theories surrounding deviance. One should understand these theories to understand how the media plays apart in defining and promoting social deviance. Three theories that explain deviance are the Strain theory, Opportunity theory and Control theory. While each theory has its own unique analysis on deviance, one similarity they all share is that deviance is the result of unachieved goals through the normal accepted means. As a result, the pursuer of goals will rely on means that the society may not accept. The society will label those who do not follow the norm deviant. However, the label deviance is subjected differently between different groups in the society. While one large group in the society may accept a norm, other groups may not. For...
Words: 830 - Pages: 4
...Psy/425 May 20th, 2013 Barbara Nosal Past and Current Trends Illicit drug use in the United States has been around for many years. Just because it has been around for this long does not mean that it is good for the people. This type of illegal activity has been known to bring around violence, gangs, prostitution, and other illegal activities. To see how the use of illegal drugs has evolved, one must look at the past trends of drug use and the current trends as well. Past and Current Trends The past trends of drug use can be seen from the 1960s. During this time, recreational drug use was thought to have been the thing to do. Drugs such as LSD and marijuana were the mainstays of drug use. Throughout the years new drugs were created that became just as popular. Drugs such as ecstasy, crack, and even the newer bath salts became popular choices in drug use. Each of these drugs have their own side effects, some worse than others. An example of this would be bath salts. The side effects of this can cause a person to go temporarily insane, and also cause the user to become very sick. There even has become a trend to use everyday household items as inhalants to try to get high. Cultural Uses of Illicit Drugs Many different cultures use illicit drugs in their own ceremonies and religious practices. This has been done over and over throughout the history of their culture. For these people, the drugs that most people would consider to be illegal are a normal part for their...
Words: 862 - Pages: 4
...Composition II Professor Dana Taylor December 11, 2011 Abstract Rap/Hip-Hop first became popular among African American and Latinos among youth in the streets of New York during the 1970’s. It was their way of expressing themselves in a friendly manner in the form of speech, fashion, and personal style. Rap/Hip-Hop music was a way for them to get their message out, by telling stories of their lifestyles. However, over the years Rap/Hip-Hop music has become much more popular for its explicit lyrics, reference of drugs, alcohol and sexual explicit videos. Many may ask “Could Rap/Hip-Hop music have a negative influence on today’s youth, because of its unhealthy messages”? This research paper will examine the effects of rap/hip-hop music on today’s youth and whether or not it has a negative influence. Brenda L. Williams-Capers Professor Dana Taylor English Composition II December 11, 2011 Over the year’s many researchers have conducted studies on the effects of rap/hip-hop on today’s youth. The results have been mixed; however there are indications that some forms of Rap/Hip-Hop music could have negative influence on today’s youth. This is due to the fact that youth start to adapt the negative aspects of the gangster rap, by displaying aggressive behaviors and committing crimes of violence. Rap gets a bad rap because some songs contain explicit lyrics, drugs, alcohol and sex. A study conducted by Ralph J. DiClemente (2003) indicated that teen girls...
Words: 1569 - Pages: 7
...Axia College Material Appendix D Indigenous Culture Web Site Review Template Question | Response | Web site 1 URL: | http://www.religioustolerance.org/buddhism.htm | Name of Indigenous culture/religion presented in Web site | This website discussed Buddhism. | Consider the examples of roles and observances held sacred by these people. Is this practice being kept alive? | This religion is very much alive by their cultural traditions. It is the 4th largest religion in the world. The prayers and festivals still occur today as a form of keeping the religion alive. | Has the culture/religion evolved over time? | Yes! It has changed into different sects depending on locality. | If the culture/religion still lives, how has Western culture changed it? | Western culture has changed it, via trying to create one form of Buddhism. | Who authored this site? Do you think the content of the site is authentic? | B.A. Robinson. I do think this site is authentic because it uses historical quotes and citations. | Name one interesting fact you learned from this Web site. | Buddhism does not endorse the existence of the soul. Many and most major world religions, however do believe in the existence of the soul. | Question | Response | Web site 2 URL: | http://www.gnosticmedia.com/ | Name of indigenous culture/religion presented in Web site. | Agnostic | Consider the examples of roles and observances held sacred by these people. Is this practice being kept...
Words: 736 - Pages: 3
...the United States, would agree that living here is much better than in the country that they came from (if they were not born in U.S.) is because their countries have many problems. The problems that the Hispanics face in their country is heavy crime, illegal drugs, and corrupt government officials (Most). One of the many countries that Hispanics move from or come from is Mexico. The Mexican people suffer from the violence of drug gangs. Drug related violence in Mexico kills around ten thousand people every year. About 83% of people in Mexico believe in using force against the illegal drug traffickers that plague their nation. Almost 56% of...
Words: 552 - Pages: 3
...Pop culture simply is the events, people, fashions, and trends that capture the public imagination. It is also used to describe current cultural trends and cultural trends of the past that have achieved enduring status. It includes the part of social life that is most actively involved in by the public. Pop culture comes from a wide collection of genres which include popular music, cyber culture, sports, entertainment, leisure, advertising, and television. But among the genres, sports and television are certainly the most influential examples of pop culture. From what the television and the media display to how the athletes' lifestyles are and how they behave in Public. Sports are played and watched across all social classes, but the masses...
Words: 1513 - Pages: 7
...Particularly, they are seeing an increasingly infantilized society. For example, violence, sex, and drugs are popular trends in programs, movies, and games. Children that view these vulgar behaviors do not fully understand the extent of this conduct. With our media revolving around these topics, it is overly popularizing the ideas, making it seem acceptable to easily influenced adolescents. Television programs and movies are becoming less classical, and more realistic. Seeing the characters and actors reaction and ways they handle their issues can reflect in our lives. We learn what not to do if we ever fall in theses struggles, and if we end up there, what is a better way to go about it. With new programming, like Netflix, we have more access to any series. As humans we are constantly learning from other people’s mistakes. Today’s culture makes this much...
Words: 1112 - Pages: 5
