Final answer:
Hippie culture is classified as a counterculture that arose in the 1960s and 1970s, characterized by the rejection of conventional societal values, communal living, spiritual exploration through drug use, and advocacy for peace and personal freedom.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hippie culture is widely recognized as a counterculture that emerged during the 1960s and 1970s. This cultural movement notably rejected the mainstream societal norms, values, and conventions of the time. Hippies were known for their distinctive lifestyle choices, including communal living, the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment through drugs and meditation, and a strong emphasis on peace, love, and personal freedom.
Hippie culture was among the various responses to the societal pressures and conflicts occurring during that period. It not only rejected traditional values and behaviors but actively promoted alternative ways of living that often stood in stark contrast to—and sometimes directly challenged—the dominant culture. The communal living, free love ethos, long hair, non-Western-inspired clothing, and music festivals are emblematic of this counterculture.
In contrast to subcultures, which tend to exist within the broader cultural context without fundamentally opposing it, countercultures, such as the hippie movement, are typically in direct opposition to prevailing social standards. They not only distinguish themselves with different preferences or aesthetic expressions, but also espouse value systems that are at odds with mainstream society, and the hippie movement was a prime example of this dynamic.