Significant Events In The 1960's

The 1960s was arguably one of the most influential decades in the USA. After experiencing victory in WWII and the postwar booms in both strong economic growth and high employment numbers in the 1950s, many American believed that they were at a golden age at the beginning of the 1960s. Sociologists expected to see a low crime rate across the nation as a result (Pinker 2013). Ironically, a huge crime surge happened to the 1960s America, and it was only just the beginning of many years followed. The only explanation was through the unexpected changes in all cultural norms of American society covered below.

Knowledge wise, rational choice theory continued to take different assumptions from other theories, with social exchange theory included.
President Dwight Eisenhower’s reputation, despite being one of the most famous generals in WWII, went dramatically downhill during his office as public viewed him often wander off to fishing and golf trips, leaving most of the official business to his White House assistants (Pach Jr. 2017). Thusly, America was in need of a new proactive, younger president. John F. Kennedy was the perfect candidate; young, charismatic and good eloquence. As the new hope of the American people, JFK already made a strong speech at his inauguration. It proved that capitalism versus communism remains to be the key political institution in America, with US and USSR government being the main and true organisations behind the continuing Cold War. As a believer of the 'Domino Theory', JFK continued supporting the South Vietnamese government in ‘containing’ Communism and marked the inevitable American involvement in the Vietnam
Lyndon B. Johnson stepped into office then and dramatically made USA’s involvement with the Vietnam War worse by further into a full-scale deployment. LBJ’s government had to then face two major institutions in society; large-scale civil right movement activities and increasing protests against the Vietnam War. Organisations such as activists Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, countless of student groups and women's groups protesting actively striked to change the social norm, they also heavily influenced other cultural institutions, particularly with music and fashion. By the time when LBJ resigned in 1969, there were riots breaking out in almost every major city. Death rates raised not only in Vietnam battlefields but also on American soil among the activists fighting against the police and hate groups. The protest against conscription in the Vietnam War was on a much larger scale and violent level compared to the previous protests in WWI and WWII. McLuhan (1975) stated that ‘Vietnam was lost in the living rooms of America, not the battlefields of Vietnam.’. The invention of television enabled people to witness first hand of the horror of war at home. Using rational choice theory to explain, the idea and benefits of staying alive were more appealing than dying in a foreign land, even if they had to pay the cost of being punished for not obeying the