The protests of 1968 challenged the ideological structures of the Cold War, and were the inevitable conclusion of changes which originated during the Second World War – a growing generational gap exacerbated by increased affluence, a surge in university attendance paired with a growing identity crisis, and a drive for change among the young, all conveyed by a blossoming international media network. 1968 challenged the permanence of traditional social structures and cultural hierarchies and left a complex legacy. The integration of protest into daily life gave rise to a fear of social atomisation and prefigured the terrorist movements of the next decade, but the year also marked a shift towards the democratisation and liberalisation of many countries. This was coupled, on the one hand,…
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Citation: Torrubia, Rafael. "1968". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 February 2011 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=9312, accessed 21 November 2024.]
