Final answer:
Members of the counterculture in the 1960s and 1970s were known as hippies. They rejected traditional society, advocating for peace, personal freedom, and alternative lifestyles like living in communes. Their influence led to greater civil rights awareness and progressive social changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Counterculture Members and Their Views of American Society
Members of the counterculture in the late 1960s and early 1970s were commonly known as hippies. These individuals harbored strong feelings of disillusionment with mainstream American society, characterized by a homogenous middle-class life, capitalism, and a lack of personal freedom and expression. They sought alternatives to what they perceived as materialistic and conformist cultural values. The Beat Movement, an earlier manifestation, consisted of 'beatniks' who opposed capitalism and materialism through the pursuit of higher consciousness, often facilitated by meditation, alternative music, and sometimes psychedelic drugs.
Hippies advocated for peace, personal freedom, and non-conformity, rejecting societal norms such as traditional work ethic, material possessions, and nuclear family structures. They embraced alternative lifestyles, such as living in communes like The Farm, which was an embodiment of their ideals including shared ownership, vegetarianism, nonviolence, and environmentalism. The movement, along with influential figures like Allen Ginsberg and rock bands like The Beatles and events such as Woodstock, significantly impacted American culture and politics, leading to greater awareness of civil rights and the push for social change.
The social unrest epitomized by the counterculture also led to a backlash, contributing to the rising conservatism in the 1970s. Despite the criticism and eventual decline of the hippie movement, its legacy continued through various social changes and the ongoing questioning of mainstream societal values.