BASW Year 3 (PA6317 1819) - Gabrielle Gordon

The Woodstock Music and Art Fair was a three-day music festival that took place in
Bethel, New York on a privately owned farm commencing on 13th August 1969. The
event was promoted as ‘three days of peace and music’, which 186,000 people
bought tickets for, however half a million people actually turned up and it was
consequently declared as free (Brown, 2016). Contextually, the counterculture of the
1960s proved to be a suitable climate for Woodstock as the ‘Sixties Generation
came of age at a time when middle-class comfort and security gave younger people
the freedom to revolt…’ (Lauré; Blauer, 2018, p.18). In other words, the idea of
Woodstock went further than just the arts and signified a reaching out beyond
society’s repressive boundaries (Hilliard, 2001, p.51). This is evident in the changing
attitudes and lifestyles that emerged in the lead up to Woodstock, such as the
espousing of pacifism, sexual liberation and communal living (Moretta, 2017, p.94).

The hippie movement originated in the United States in the early 1960s;
nonetheless, the culture can be traced back to the bohemians of the 19th and early
20th centuries while it can also be argued that elements of the Beat Generation
directly morphed into the hippie counterculture (Belletto, 2017, p.12). Furthermore, it
is undeniable that the Summer of Love was a cultural milestone in the evolution of
the hippie subculture.

Regarding this topic, my research question seeks to find out if Woodstock was a
cultural revolution, further delving into the impact of the music festival on music,
sociology, politics and fashion. My research question undoubtedly provides a clear
sense of what the research project is about and what it hopes to address. By using
the word ‘revolution’ in the title, the question denotes that Woodstock did have an
impact on different aspects of society, commencing in the United States but soon
passing into the Western world. The collation of my research will comprise mainly
acquiring academic books from in-person and online libraries. Furthermore, I intend
to watch documentaries about Woodstock and the hippie movement to gain an “real”
sense of what the scene was like, further backed up by reading newspaper and/or
magazine articles of the time. Regarding the outcome of the research project, I
foresee an in-depth critical analysis of all sides of the argument questioning whether
Woodstock had a cultural impact, drawing from perspectives that already exist within
BASW Year 3 (PA6317 1819) - Gabrielle Gordon

the literature surrounding the subject and coming up with a well-balanced, carefully
considered answer.

The following literature review will critically evaluate and analyse numerous sources,
comprising academic books published in the last ten years, discussing whether
Woodstock was a cultural revolution, thereby deliberating how culturally significant it
was. In order to understand how legitimate these sources truly are, the reliability and
credibility of the literature must be assessed. Considering that Woodstock was such
a well-known event, as evident in the fact that it was so widely publicised in the
media, a lot of literature surrounds it (Perone, 2005, p.126). Moreover, the fact that
the festival took place 49 years ago means that there has been a sufficient amount
of time for many texts to be published about the topic. Hence, the scope of literature
is very high as each source that I found proved to be relevant and useful in my
investigation of the impact of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair.

Upon comparing the various literature, a few key themes emerged; firstly, the
question of whether or not Woodstock was politically fuelled. As stated by
photojournalist Lauré and co-author Blauer in their first-hand account of the festival,
‘young people began a journey to a “counterculture,” an absolute revolt against the
culture they were raised in’ (Lauré; Blauer, 2018, p.21). This stance is backed up by
Evans and Kingsbury in their historical book about Woodstock, who claim that, in
Rolling Stone’s post-Woodstock reports, ‘all emphasised the socio-political
implications of the festival over and above the impact the impact of the actual music’
(Evans; Kingsbury, 2009, p.242). Conversely, Gatten counters this viewpoint in his
critical biography about the festival, claiming that: ‘Woodstock is often viewed
cynically as just another manifestation of commercialism’ (Gatten, 2016, p.66).
Although the first-hand nature of the first text makes it undeniably useful in gaining a
“real” sense of what the event was like, the academic nature of the latter source
potentially makes it more reliable. It can, therefore, be inferred that Woodstock was
politically impactful, however the festival itself may have been more a symbol of
commercialism than a political protest.

Another theme that stood out was the allegedly peaceful nature of Woodstock.
According to Debolt and Baugess – in their encyclopaedia about the Sixties – the
festival ‘...served to reinforce the idea that it was possible for people to come
BASW Year 3 (PA6317 1819) - Gabrielle Gordon

together without anger and violence’ (Debolt; Baugess, 2011, p.296). This
harmonious portrayal is backed up by Doggett’s book which states: ‘Nowhere in the
advance publicity did the organisers propose anything more confrontational than
love, peace and music’ (Doggett, 2009, p.111). In contrast, Evans and Kingsbury
argue that: ‘While Woodstock lived up to its billing “3 Days of Peace & Music”, it
wasn’t all love and harmony’ (Evans; Kingsbury, 2009, p.250). Hence, it is evident
that there are conflicting opinions regarding the peaceful nature of the festival.
Furthermore, the publishers of Debolt and Baugess’, and Evans and Kingsbury’s
books are both academic, posing a problem as to whose opinion is right. Taking into
account Abbie Hoffman’s controversy at Woodstock, whereby he interrupted The
Who’s performance to speak against the jailing of John Sinclair of the White Panther
Party (Perone, 2005, p.55), it can be deduced that the festival lived up to its
harmonious portrayal as a whole, although there were a few examples of
disharmony.

Moreover, a prominent theme within the texts is the question of cultural significance.
As argued by Debolt and Baugess: ‘The largest and most remembered rock festival
was Woodstock Music & Art Fair…Other cities attempted to recreate the success
and atmosphere…but none came close to the fame of Woodstock’ (Debolt; Baugess,
2011, p.737). Furthermore, their encyclopaedia quotes journalist Ellen Sander in an
article from 27th September 1969, who claims: ‘The largest number of people ever
assembled for any event other than a war lived together...with such a natural good
cheer that they turned on, not only everyone surrounding them, but the mass media’
(Debolt; Baugess, 2011, p. 296). Gatten counters this stance by claiming that
‘Woodstock may have provided a visualisation of a primitive tribal bonding lifestyle,
but the event did not, in fact, signal a cultural paradigm shift’ (Gatten, 2016, p.66).
The fact that both texts’ publishers are academic proves problematic in determining
whose perspective is correct. Overall, it is apparent that Woodstock was culturally
significant within the counterculture of the 1960s, however this did not seep into the
mainstream, thus preventing it from having a lasting impact.

In conclusion, my chosen sources consistently discuss the impact of the Woodstock

Music and Art Fair, with particular reference to politics, peacefulness and cultural
significance. From my critical analysis and evaluation, it is evident that there are
BASW Year 3 (PA6317 1819) - Gabrielle Gordon

differing views regarding these topics which cannot be brushed over on the basis
that one text is more academic than another. Hence, in my final dissertation, it is
essential that I take into account the zeitgeist of the time by referencing newspaper
articles and magazines from the 1960s, as well as watching documentaries that
feature interviews with attendees of the festival. Nevertheless, at this point, I
maintain the view that Woodstock was a cultural revolution, although the extent of
which will need to be deliberated.

I will be collecting my information mostly from academic books, sourced from online
and in-person libraries. However, in order to gain a “realer” sense of what the scene
was like, I will be watching documentaries about the subject, as well as collecting
news articles from the time to understand the zeitgeist then. My research does not
infringe any ethical guidelines as I do not intend to collect data from primary sources
nor do I intend to involve participants.

Regarding my research timetable, I know that, during a normal week, I am able to

dedicate time on the two weekdays that I do not have classes, as well as one day on
the weekend. From the submission date of the dissertation proposal to the
submission date of the completed dissertation, there are exactly 19 weeks, in which I
have no major commitments that are currently planned. As I have already started
researching my topic quite thoroughly, I think that more time should be allocated to
writing and planning the dissertation. Hence, from the submission date of my
proposal to the start of the Christmas holiday, I have allowed slightly over four weeks
to finish researching my topic, which will comprise finding the remainder of my
academic sources and gathering quotes from each of these pieces of literature to be
used in my dissertation. This phase of preparation will be spent either at home on my
laptop, on the computer at the Institute’s LRC and in external libraries; therefore,
room space will not need to be booked in advance. If I spend a couple of hours on
each of my free weekdays (Tuesdays and Fridays), as well as one day on the
weekend, I am certain that my research will be finished by the start of the Christmas
holiday.

That leaves me with around 14½ weeks to methodically plan and write my
dissertation. I am extremely pedantic when I write academic essays and need more
time writing than planning. So I will spend just over four weeks planning exactly what
BASW Year 3 (PA6317 1819) - Gabrielle Gordon

I am going to write about in each section of the dissertation, including the specific
sources and quotes that will be used accordingly. On the basis that my research is
successful, I am confident that it will be fairly straightforward to come up with a
thorough plan. As a result, ten weeks should be plenty for me to write my
dissertation as my research and planning will hopefully give my essay writing a clear
sense of direction and purpose. This phase will use the same resources as the
research stage so room space will not need to be booked in advance.
BASW Year 3 (PA6317 1819) - Gabrielle Gordon

Bibliography

Brown, M. Woodstock Festival: Where did the peace and love go? (2016) The
Telegraph. [Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/news/woodstock-
festival-where-did-the-peace-and-love-go/] [Accessed on 17/10/18]

Lauré, J; Blauer, E. Woodstock 1969: The Lasting Impact of the Counterculture.

Skyhorse Publishing Inc., 2018, p.18.

Hilliard, R. Media, Education, and America's Counter-culture Revolution: Lost and

Found Opportunities for Media Impact on Education, Gender, Race, and the Arts.
Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001, p.51.

Moretta, J. The Hippies: A 1960s History. McFarland, 2017, p.94.

Belletto, S. The Cambridge Companion to the Beats. Cambridge University

Press, 2017, p.12.

Daniels, R. Year of the Heroic Guerrilla: World Revolution and Counterrevolution

in 1968. Harvard University Press, 1996, p.53.

Perone, J. Woodstock: An Encyclopedia of the Music and Art Fair. Greenwood

Publishing Group, 2005, p.55 & p.126.

Evans, M; Kingsbury, P. Woodstock: Three Days that Rocked the World. Sterling
Publishing Company, Inc., 2009, p.242.

Gatten, J. Woodstock Scholarship: An Interdisciplinary Annotated Bibliography.

Open Book Publishers, 2016, p.66.

Debolt, A; Baugess, J. Encyclopedia of the Sixties: A Decade of Culture and

Counterculture [2 volumes]: A Decade of Culture and Counterculture. ABC-CLIO,
2011, p.296.

Doggett, P. There's a Riot Going On: Revolutionary, Rock Stars, and the Rise
and Fall of the 60s Counter-Culture. Open Road + Grove/Atlantic, 2009, p.111.