History GCSE 60s Coursework Question 5

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The 1960s was a time of great change in society, much of it caused by changes in popular culture. There were new opportunities and more freedom for young adults and even older people. Many people had different viewpoints on the numerous changes that happened in the Sixties due to popular culture. Some of these changes were seen as good and some bad. Some people will agree that popular culture in the 1960s did more harm than good. Source B, a description of a concert written in the 1960s, creates a very dangerous image of scary fans. The ‘heaving, maniacal, screaming mob’ definitely makes it seem like the Rolling Stones had a bad influence on their fans, turning them into maniacs. Source E is a description of radio in the 1960s recounting how there were adverts for gambling ‘every three nanoseconds’ on Radio Luxembourg. This definitely does more harm than good as it could be a bad influence on people listening to make them gamble, wasting their money and destroying families, the most important social unit up to this time. Source F is a very negative part of an article in the Daily Mail, 25 May 1964. This includes very conservative views from Mary Whitehouse. She believed very strongly that the BBC was not fulfilling their duty to promote Christian principles. This shows that the Sixties did more harm than good because, according to her, the standard of programmes was deteriorating which could have influenced viewers. Source G is a very factual extract from a biography entry for the singer Janis Joplin. It states that ‘she died of a drugs overdose in 1970’ and, before the Sixties, it would have been unheard of for a popular performer to die of a drug overdose. This shows that the Sixties did a lot of harm, causing people who may have never taken drugs before to take overdoses. Source H is part of “England, Half English” by Colin MacInnes who was very astute as he
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