The American College Student Movement In The1960s

The decade of the1960s was not quiet in American history, witnessing movements inpolitical and cultural fields rising one after another. The black civil rights movement, thecampus student movement, the feminist movement, the anti-war movement and so onwere held during the ten years. These movements gathered together into a single current,pushing the American society to move forward. College students, as a special social force,shined brightly in the movements. The racial segregation, the undergraduate educationsystem, the wars and the traditional middle class values were all opposed by the youngrebels. They demonstrated, protested,and also tried violent revolution. Some of them eventried to establish a new social life and culture pattern. Beneath the radical appearance hid arival revolution when America transformed from traditional industrial society topost-industrial society. Its essence was the fierce conflict between the democratic systemand the consumer society. Movements fell silent in the1970s. However, the heritage left tothe young people and the society has remained influential till now. On the one hand, itmade the democratic system of America adapted to the rapidly changing post-industrialsociety, helping it develop into a more democratic and more polybasic society. On theother hand, the decadent lifestyle it proposed has caused the long-standing problems suchas divorce, aborticide, drug abuse, and intemperance.This article is on the basis of others research, inorder to avoid cultural anomie in theperiod of social transformation in our country. The college students who are mostimportant reserve forces in the country building have their own characteristics, they easilyinfluence by social. If let themselves go, may to the circuit, if the right guidance, thecollege students will play an import role in social reform. We should get from theAmerican college students movement in the1960s.