Thursday, January 27, 2011
Student Protests
Berkeley is famous for being the center of student protests during the 1960's. Do you believe that in today's society, such student protest movements would still occur? Are there any issues we face today that are worthy of such student activism and do you believe students today would be willing to fight to solve those issues while facing such consequences?
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I believe that another student protest is highly unlikely to occur once more. First, I believe students are far more oblivious to the current events of today and don't hold as much personal attachment and responsibility for the hardships that are being experienced in the United States. Thus, there isn't as much of an urgency to take matters into our own hands. Also, i believe our generation doesn't hold enough of the same qualities as the counterculture movement, where student protests were nearly inevitable. There isn't as much of a need to break away from society and start questioning the ideals of the country to the point where a mass student protest is in order like the 60's. Maybe we've become more idle? Maybe the people feel that our hardships at this time aren't enough to justify taking the initiative? Most likely I think we're waiting for the problems (recession, 2 wars, unemployment) to fix themselves. Just my two cents.
ReplyDeletei definitely believe that student protests can break out anytime, especially if whoever is in power is not acting on such issues that pertain to the students. Like professor Vaverck mentioned on tuesday, students protested for a variety of different reasons, even sometimes the smallest things like control over the cafeteria. You don't necessarily have to speak revolutionary issues like world peace to
ReplyDeletehave a student protest. I think in todays society, Gay Rights would definitely be something that I could see a protest about in the near future. Gay people suffer similar prejudices experienced by African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. For example, why cant a gay man donate blood? Or join the US army? As youth detaches itself from older generations, and become more open and liberal to issues like gay rights, I think that students would be willing to fight through protest because despite their sexual orientation, these people are human and many times are loved ones and friends of ours.
I feel like the student protest movement of the 1960's was almost an anomaly in American history and is unlikely to happen today. Back then there was the unique combination of a massive youth population thanks to the baby boom, coupled with a general culture that in many ways had taken a step back to become even more conservative than in the roaring 20's. So really it seems like that generation of teenagers and college students found themselves sick of the conservative norms of society and rebelled against them.
ReplyDeleteI actually really disagree with the previous comments. I think that while maybe a student protest with such a magnitude the 1960s one had, may not occur, large student protests definitely will occur, and actually do occur.
ReplyDeleteI have grown up in Berkeley, and went to Berkeley high school and have witnessed numerous, numerous protests and student uproars. The 1960s was a special time where the idea of protests and revolution was new and hopeful for the youth, and while maybe the same amount of belief in and hope for protests is not the same, protests still do occur, and still have an impact.