Presidential Address: Countercultures and Social Change
Abstract
This article focuses on an address on the countercultures and social change. Some individuals and groups feel particularly strongly that the social order is unable to bring them the accustomed or the hoped for satisfactions. Depending on their social location and on their personal tendencies, they attack, strongly or weakly, violently or symbolically, the frustrating social order that is, the normative-power-reciprocity system. The nature of the attack varies widely, with some believing that they have been caught in very bad bargains, others that they are being exploited by unjust and unwise leaders or rulers, and still others emphasizing that they are surrounded by a shoddy system of norms and values. Three elements are found in most protest movements, even though they can be distinguished analytically. Any analysis of countercultures faces this problem. Some use it as a word of opprobrium, an indication, of incivility, depravity, heresy, or sedition. For others, counterculture means hope and salvation, a unique and perhaps final opportunity to get, humankind off the road to destruction.
Repository Citation
Yinger, J. Milton. 1977. "Presidential Address: Countercultures and Social Change." American Sociological Review 42(6): 833-53.
Publisher
American Sociological Association
Publication Date
12-1-1977
Publication Title
American Sociological Review
Department
Sociology
Document Type
Article
DOI
https://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2094571
Keywords
Social change, Counterculture, Subcultures, Social order, Social structure, Social norms
Language
English
Format
text
