Free Custom «The Changes of the 1960s» Essay Paper

The aim of this paper is to analyze the changes that took place in the decade of the 1960s. The decade1960s started from 1^st January 1960 and ended on 31^st December 1969. The United States and the World at large experienced changes in all aspects of life; including social, economic, political and moral paradigm shifts of thoughts and actions. Turbulent racial confrontations and conflicts that arouse international excitement as well as confusion took place in the 1960s affecting the history of United States. Kati Marton observed that the decade of the 1960s was a critical moment of social transformation and transitional changes took place to bring about honor of every race (1). Most colonized countries in African and Asian gained political and economic freedom from the colonial powers like England, France, Italy and Germany. Economic changes were marked by inventions and innovations breakthroughs in the field of technology whereby the first man landed on the moon. The sixties experienced turbulent social disintegration and reconstruction processes that setup a more democratic America ending the era of racial discrimination (Elaine 1). Feminist ideology and the rights of the female become exceedingly common place that governments were forced to enact bills recognizing the fundamental rights of women. Women fought for better working conditions and pay; thus for the first time women worked without facing chauvinist stereotyping as before. Masses of women started using contraceptives without much opposition during in the 1960s; experts assert that birth control ideology grew through feminists’ awareness whose main goal was to end domestic violence (Friedan 10). Sexuality knowledge grew following research and gay rights were adapted in a few outstanding countries. Liberal feminism defeated radical feminism in a challenge that brought about a second wave of social reform in which women in the middle economic class asserted their rights at home, work and society (Friedan 6). The sixties left a permanent mark especially in regard to reconstruction of social terms and recognition of diverse cultures rights and freedoms. Feminists realized women right, human activists ended radical racial prejudice, women started using contraceptives once freed from patriarchal power and lastly, sexual rights were granted to gay people.