The hippie movement of the 1960s rejected middle class values and mainstream institutions. Hippies advocated peace, love, and free expression. They experimented with illicit drugs like marijuana and LSD and had an alternative lifestyle focused on sexual freedom. However, their embrace of drug use and permissive attitudes also led to moral panics that stereotyped them.

1. Sex
Love Hippie Drugs
Peace

2. How did they behave?
• Did not view the use of some particular drugs as wrongdoing nor was
sexual experimentation.
• Alternative life-style: ‘Strange hair and clothing’.
• ‘Rejected the platitudes of their parents and of the “square”
communities from which they came from and coining unconventional
platitudes of their own’ (Breecher. 1972: 286).
• Rejected middle class values but also rebelled against such established
institutions i.e. ‘The Man/ Big Brother’ (Bhaddock. 2011).
• ‘Seek love rather than violence!’ Their alternative life-style was ‘aimed
at revolutionising society through peaceful means’ (Muncie. 2004).

3. Drugs, Sex and Hippies!
• HOWEVER: ‘if it feels good, do it attitudes included neither
forethought nor concern for the consequences of their
actions’ (Bhaddock. 2011)
• ‘A major feature of the hippie life-style was the use of illicit
drugs’ (Breecher. 1972).
- mainly marihuana and LSD.
• Mistrusted due to their ‘pro-drug and permissive ethos’
(Muncie. 2004).
• Moral Panics: Jock Young (1971) Deviancy amplification
and stereotype fantasies.

4. References
• Bhaddock. (2011) The 1960′s Hippie Counter Culture Movement. (Available at)
http://www.mortaljourney.com/2011/03/1960-trends/hippie-counter-culture-movement Accessed on:
14-02-12.
• Breecher, E, M. (1972) The Haight-Ashbury, its predecessors and its satellites. Chapter 63. (Available at)
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/cu/cu63.html Accessed on: 15-02-12.
• Fulcher, J and Scott, J. (2007) Sociology. United States: Oxford University Press. Chapter 2.7
• Marsh, I. and Melville, G. (2011) Moral Panics and the British Media- A look at some contemporary ‘Folk
Devils’. Internet Journal of Criminology. ISSN 2045-6743. (Available at)
http://www.internetjournalofcriminology.com/Marsh_Melville_Moral_Panics_and_the_British_Media_
March_2011.pdf Accessed on: 14-02-12.
• Muncie, J. (2009) Youth Crime. 3rd ed. London: SAGE Publications. Chapter 6.3.
• Rainwater, L. (2011) Deviance and Liberty: Social Problems and Social Policy. New Jersey: Transaction
Publishers. Chapter II: 8. (Available at) http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=-
QmeFSAE8G8C&pg=PR6&lpg=PR6&dq=lee+rainwater+liberty&source=bl&ots=ECqi4bUhoE&sig=LwhJvQ
9lT3M5sg0mH-3ZYDRUeuM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-udIT4-
MPMeDhQfbsumHBA&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAQ#v=snippet&q=HIPPIES&f=false Accessed on 15-02-12.