what are hippies

Hippies were a youth movement that began in the United States during the 1960s and spread to different countries around the world. They were associated with the counterculture of the 1960s and rejected established institutions, criticized middle-class values, opposed nuclear weapons and the Vietnam War, embraced aspects of Eastern philosophy, championed sexual liberation, were often vegetarian and eco-friendly, promoted the use of psychedelic drugs which they believed expanded ones consciousness, and created intentional communities or communes. Hippies perceived the dominant culture as a corrupt, monolithic entity that exercised undue power over their lives, calling this culture "The Establishment", "Big Brother", or "The Man". Scholars like Timothy Miller have described hippies as a new religious movement. Hippies were largely a white, middle-class group of teenagers and twentysomethings who felt alienated from middle-class society, which they saw as dominated by materialism and repression. They developed their own distinctive lifestyle, whereby they constructed a sense of marginality. Hippies were also known for their unique style, favoring long hair and casual, often unconventional, dress, sometimes in “psychedelic” colors. Many males grew beards, and both men and women wore sandals and beads. Long flowing granny dresses were popular with women, and rimless granny glasses with both men and women. Hippies commonly took up communal or cooperative living arrangements, and they often adopted vegetarian diets based on unprocessed foods and practiced holistic medicine. Hippies advocated nonviolence and love, a popular phrase being “Make love, not war,” for which they were sometimes called “flower children.” They promoted openness and tolerance as alternatives to the restrictions and regimentation they saw in middle-class society. Hippies often practiced open sexual relationships.