Kommentar |
The sixties were arguably the most influential decade of the twentieth century in North America. They were a time of great social upheaval and revolutionary ideas, characterized by dramatic events such as the struggle for civil rights and the Vietnam War. The “Swinging Sixties” signified the end of the "Cold War Consensus" as young people searched for new ideals by tuning in and dropping out, burning their draft cards, celebrating the “summer of love” in San Francisco, and experiencing Woodstock.
Canada too underwent momentous changes. While these changes were undeniably influenced by what was happening in America, they nonetheless reflected a uniquely Canadian perspective. Among them were Canada's reassessment of its political and economic relationship to the US, Quebec's "Quiet Revolution," the establishment of Canada's social net, a growing awareness of Native rights, and Canada's reaction to the Vietnam War. In this course we will look at how both Canada and the U.S.A. experienced the sixties in the context of the twentieth century, but also examine the decade's main political and cultural events to see how they shaped each country. |