Counterculture  

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As long as there has been culture, there has been counterculture. At times it moves deep below the surface of things, a stealth mode of being all but invisible to the dominant paradigm; at other times it’s in plain sight, challenging the status quo; and at still other times it erupts in a fiery burst of creative–or destructive–energy to change the world forever. --via Counterculture Through the Ages (2004)

In sociology, counterculture is a term used to describe a cultural group whose values and norms of behavior run counter to those of the social mainstream of the day, the cultural equivalent of political opposition. Although distinct countercultural undercurrents exist in all societies, here the term counterculture refers to a more significant, visible phenomenon that reaches critical mass and persists for a period of time. A counterculture movement thus expresses the ethos, aspirations and dreams of a specific population during a certain period of time — a social manifestation of zeitgeist.

The term counterculture was first attested in the English language in 1970[1]. Earlier countercultural milieux in 19th century Europe included the traditions of Romanticism, Bohemianism and of the Dandy.

Counterculture is generally used to describe a theological, cultural, attitudinal or material position that does not conform to accepted societal norms. Yet, counterculture movements are often co-opted to spearhead commercial campaigns. Thus once taboo ideas (men wearing a woman's color — pink, for example) sometimes become popular trends.


Contents

Chronology of counterculture

Avant la lettre

Aristotle - Galileo Galilei - medieval heretics - libertine - enlightenment thinkers - French Revolution - anarchism - Bohemianism - Dandy - Marxism - modern art - avant-garde - Beat generation - Situationism (Europe) - Provo (Netherlands) - May 1968 (Paris)

Apres la lettre

See also

By region

USA

Europe

Belgium

France

Italy

Spain

Portugal

Germany

The Netherlands

Great Britain

Sweden




Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Counterculture" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.

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