College Professor Discusses Causes of Student Protests (1969)

That was Robert Stanfield, Alwinder. Well, I think that maybe the change between the silent generation and the generation today as far as their dissatisfaction and their articulation of their dissatisfaction came about possibly with the change in music, the change in dance, the change in dress patterns that you have well began to develop five, seven years ago. I think these things have accumulated effect, accumulated effect because the development of the mass media, especially of the, well, of the phonograph record, has been that, and secondly, TV has been that, in effect, the words of these songs, the change in the music, the mode of dress communicated itself throughout all, all youth of high school age in the country. I think this is the generation that has, in a sense, been able to articulate a revolutionary

attitude. Now, why possibly did the change in music, the change in dress styles bring us about why did this occur? I think because possibly in the last 10 years, there has been a combination of three events. One, the recognition of the hydrogen bomb and the fact that all life can be destroyed. Date seven or eight years ago in Bob Dylan, so on the eve of destruction, which at that time was dealt with that problem was most popular with youth. Secondly, I think the fact that there is a growing recognition that there is some type of economic revolution, that there's a possibility that they just won't be jobs in the future, that everything may be done by machines.

I think this spot is youth, and this has become, they become aware of this over the past several years. Thirdly, of course, the great revolution in civil rights, which is swept Africa, Asia, and this country, too, and which is contributed through their initial interest and activity and SNCC and other organizations to give them a perspective on both injustice, suffering and the need for a new equality for man.