Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumCounterculture and Youth Rebellion

"The modern youth movement is not just a reaction against specific policies, but a rejection of the entire technological and bureaucratic apparatus of modern society. Today's youth are protesting the dehumanization that accompanies modern industrial progress, seeking instead personal authenticity, direct participation, and a return to human scale in social relations."

— Kenneth Keniston, sociologist, *Young Radicals*, 1968

The sentiments expressed in the excerpt most directly reflect which of the following historical developments of the 1960s?

  1. A growing alienation among young people from the prevailing corporate and social conformity of the eraAnswer
  2. B
    A desire to expand federal social welfare programs under the Great Society initiative
  3. C
    A unified effort to align youth activist strategies with mainstream civil rights organizations
  4. D
    An endorsement of the containment doctrine as an effective foreign policy strategy

Answer

A growing alienation among young people from the prevailing corporate and social conformity of the era
The correct answer is the option highlighting a growing alienation among young people from corporate and social conformity. Sociologist Kenneth Keniston describes the youth movement as a reaction against the 'dehumanization' of modern industrial progress and bureaucratic structures, which aligns with the countercultural rejection of the post-World War II middle-class consensus and its emphasis on conformity, consumerism, and institutional authority.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus document to identify the author's primary argument.
The author argues that the 1960s youth movement was a broad rejection of technological and bureaucratic society, dehumanization, and a search for personal authenticity and participatory relationships.
Understanding the source's main point is necessary to connect it to the correct historical development.
2
Evaluate the historical developments represented by each option in relation to the author's argument.
The youth movement's desire for authenticity and rejection of corporate/bureaucratic structures aligns with the counterculture's rebellion against the mainstream consensus and middle-class conformity of the 1950s and 1960s.
This step distinguishes the core motivation of the counterculture from other contemporary movements and policies.

Key Concept

Counterculture and Youth Rebellion
Rate this question

Topics

Counterculture and Youth Rebellion

More questions from this topic