“The suburban lifestyle, the corporate job, the endless cycle of consuming goods we do not need—these are the traps of the modern establishment. We must drop out of this system and tune into a new consciousness based on cooperation, peace, and personal freedom rather than material success.”
— Excerpt from an underground counterculture newspaper, 1967
Which of the following developments during the 1960s is most directly reflected in the ideas expressed in the excerpt?
- AThe intellectual disillusionment of the Lost Generation following World War I
- BThe political mobilization of the silent majority seeking to defend traditional values
- A growing youth rejection of the post-World War II consensus and middle-class conformityAnswer
- DThe initial emergence of the Beat Generation's literary critique of suburbanization
Answer
A growing youth rejection of the post-World War II consensus and middle-class conformity
The correct answer shows the counterculture's defining feature: the rejection of middle-class conformity and the post-World War II consensus. The excerpt's criticism of the suburban lifestyle and corporate jobs directly mirrors the counterculture's attempt to build alternative communities and value systems in the late 1960s.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Counterculture and Youth Rebellion