On what sociological factors did the 1960s counterculture have the most lasting impact?

There are three sociological areas most impacted by the “Beatnik” and “Flower-child” countercultural movement of the 1960s.

First, it centralized the impact of youthon all aspects of society. In finances, the buying power of the youth culture became a target for many products, such as soft drinks, entertainment, music (both recorded and in live performance). Today, the youth are still the dominant market for music. In the 1960s, cross-country travel, especially by car to...

There are three sociological areas most impacted by the “Beatnik” and “Flower-child” countercultural movement of the 1960s.

First, it centralized the impact of youth on all aspects of society. In finances, the buying power of the youth culture became a target for many products, such as soft drinks, entertainment, music (both recorded and in live performance). Today, the youth are still the dominant market for music. In the 1960s, cross-country travel, especially by car to witness the migration to San Francisco, became a cultural “must,” still experienced by all generations. The breakdown of the traditional family unit saw its social acceptance in the 1960s as interracial marriages, living together outside of wedlock, and single mothers became increasingly accepted socially. Drug use, especially marijuana, became popular—today it is increasingly decriminalized and gaining political acceptance.

Secondly, the 1960s gave strength to the adolescence of the Feminist movement. Bella Abzug, Germaine Greer, and especially the National Organization of Women (NOW) brought Women’s Rights into today’s status, to the point that a woman president is a real possibility.

Finally, the complete turnaround of the sociological view of sexual freedom was accomplished in the 1960s. The “pill,” Masters and Johnson, Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying, and other works brought society to today’s debates on abortion, contraception, sexually transmitted disease, transgender identity, and similar issues.

When added to the musical revolution, the post-modern literary output, and the attention to Eastern philosophies (Zen, meditation, and the like), these three changes – youth, Femininism, and sexual freedom – have made the 1960s a remarkable decade in modern history, one that has had a lasting impact on today’s society.