From Finding Freedom to Seeking Security: America’s Awakening and Unraveling from 1965–2007
The “turnings” model of generational history by William Strauss and Neil Howe observes recurring cycles in culture, each lasting for approximately a generation of around 20–25 years. Strauss and Howe call these cycles “turnings”, and outline a recurring pattern of four types of turnings: High, Awakening, Unraveling, and Crisis.
Our prior summary of a century of American history from the mid 19th to the mid 20th centuries brought us from the Civil War cultural crisis to the post WWII cultural high.
In this article we begin with the mid-century cultural “Awakening” then explore the “Unraveling” that has brought us to our present state in the middle of the first 21st century “Crisis” phase.
The Awakening Boomers: From Drop Out to Greed is Good
The Awakening stage that commenced in 1965 marked a dramatic backlash against the authoritarian national norms that had characterized the post-war High. The Kennedy and Johnson administrations heralded a new era of liberal policies and social changes. The Vietnam War draft evoked widespread opposition, culminating in protests and resistance movements that captivated youth across the nation. Meanwhile, the civil rights movement gained momentum, with figures like Martin Luther King Jr. leading the charge for racial equality. The Stonewall riots of 1969 ignited the gay rights movement, laying the groundwork for activists like Harvey Milk to rise to prominence. Youth revolutionized societal norms through radical shifts in music, fashion, and lifestyle; the hippie movement epitomized this era, embracing peace, love, and communal living. Psychedelic music, alongside the widespread use of recreational drugs and an interest in eastern religions and New Age mysticism, symbolized a collective quest to “find oneself” and overthrow the conventional shackles of society.
However, as the Awakening stage progressed, the fervent quest for self-discovery began to morph into a culture of rampant individualism and materialism by the 1980s. The initial ideals of communal harmony and spiritual exploration gave way to an era characterized by the infamous “Greed is Good” motto, popularized by the movie *Wall Street*. This shift reflected a new societal focus on wealth accumulation and personal success. Icons of the decade like Donald Trump became symbols of unrestrained capitalism and financial ambition. The yuppie culture, defined by young urban professionals eager to climb the corporate ladder, replaced the earlier counterculture movements. This period also saw an increase in consumerism, epitomized by the rise of shopping malls and the proliferation of brand-name goods, further signifying a turn inward towards personal gratification and away from the collective ideals of the 1960s.
Ironically, the culmination of the Awakening stage and the advent of the Unraveling phase were heralded with Ronald Reagan’s optimistic proclamation that it was “Morning in America.” His slogan captured a national sentiment of rejuvenation and pride, yet it further entrenched the individualistic and capitalistic ethos that had emerged. Reagan’s policies, including tax cuts for the wealthy and deregulation of industries, bolstered the economic boom of the 1980s but also enlarged the wealth gap and eroded the social safety net. The juxtaposition of Reagan’s patriotic optimism with the decade’s underlying culture of materialism and self-interest marked a pivotal transition towards the Unraveling. As the nation embraced a vision of economic prosperity, the communal spirit of the previous Awakening stage gradually dissipated, giving way to an era defined by fragmentation and uncertainty.
The Unraveling Part One: Oh Well, Whatever. Nevermind
America’s second 20th century Unraveling stage began in 1984. Like all unravelings, this stage marks the point where the social institutions that were weakened under the turn from society to self in the Awakening truly lose their capacity to give direction to society.
Unravelings are marked by a clear emergence of opposing views of culture; one view that tries to hold onto the old values, norms and institutions that had been established in the High and had persisted as a dwindling sense of mainstream norms through the Awakening, and another that no longer finds any meaning in the old values and norms, yet has not fully coalesced around a cohesive alternative set of socially stabilizing cultural norms and values.
Regan’s “Morning in America” was in fact the dawn of the culture wars. During the unraveling that began in 1985 and lasted through 2007, conservative evangelicalism led the front in the “culture wars” that sought to return america to the authority of law and order based on explicitly christian and white middle class morality. Generation X came of age in this time, and had a hard time accepting that the old establishment could do anything for them.
What this generation saw in the real world was self-indulgent me generation adults with the highest rates ever of divorce and single parent homes, or homes with two working parents, putting household earnings before anything else. Gen X had a childhood without much direct societal intervention through parents. As kids, they were seen as a more of a burden then a gift to their parents, and were left to fend for themselves, while questioning the society and priorities of adults that led to this. “Question Authority” was in fact a youth motto of the time.
And why not? While moralists clamored for a return to the white, middle-class Christian norms of the post-war cultural High, Generation X found themselves navigating a radically transformed landscape shaped by the economic and social repercussions of Reaganomics and privatization. Introduced in the 1980s, Reaganomics emphasized supply-side economics, significant tax cuts for the wealthy, and extensive deregulation. This economic policy led to a short-term boom but also exacerbated income inequality and created a fragile financial sector. The 1987 stock market crash, known as Black Monday, exemplified the volatility that Reaganomics had engendered. As companies downsized and relocated to maximize profits, job security waned, and many middle-class families struggled to maintain their standard of living.
This economic backdrop was further complicated by a host of other challenges. Domestically, the crack cocaine epidemic surged in the 1980s, ravaging urban communities and fueling violent crime, while the AIDS epidemic, emerging more prominently in the early 1980s, spread fear and discrimination, drastically altering public health and social attitudes. Increasing the sense of danger in the world, the early 1990s saw the emergence of a more perilous international landscape, defined by President Bush’s identification of an “Axis of Evil,” including nations like Iraq, Iran, and North Korea. The Gulf War of 1990–1991, primarily fought over oil interests in the Middle East, underscored the growing instability and geopolitical risks.
As Generation X entered the workforce in the late 1990s and early 2000s, they were confronted with yet another economic upheaval: the Dot-Com Crash of 2000–2002. The collapse of inflated tech stock prices wiped out billions of dollars in investments, leading to widespread layoffs and economic insecurity.
The Unraveling Part Two: Seeking Security
None of this societal change seemed to indicate any chance of returning to “the good old days.” Then came September 11, 2001, a day which ensured there was no going back. Generation X were the youngest people at work that day (if they had work), while the next generation behind them, the Millennials, may have been on their way to school. When the planes crashed and killed 2,977 people at the World Trade Towers, the Pentagon, and in a field in Pennsylvania, the Unraveling of culture received a catalyst for Crisis similar to WWI in the prior unraveling as a precursor to the Crisis of WWII.
First off, Generation X, already facing a tough job market at home, fueled a surge of patriotic enlistment in the military and were deployed to the Middle East for a long “War on Terror.” Between 2001 and 2003, thousands of young Americans joined the armed forces, driven by a renewed sense of duty and patriotism. The U.S. military’s presence in Afghanistan began almost immediately after 9/11, with Operation Enduring Freedom commencing in October 2001. By 2003, the U.S. had launched Operation Iraqi Freedom, further extending the military’s role in the region. These prolonged conflicts demanded sustained enlistment and significantly altered the lives of those who served and their families, leading to widespread societal impacts, including mental health challenges like PTSD, and shifts in public opinion about military engagements.
Second, social and cultural institutions became focused on a need for security. The establishment of the Department of Homeland Security in November 2002 marked a significant restructuring of federal agencies to better coordinate efforts in preventing and responding to terrorist threats. This focus on security permeated various aspects of American life, from increased security measures at public events to the widespread use of security cameras. Society also became more xenophobic toward Muslims and more militaristic. For millennials, who were still children, and Gen Xers trying to form an adult life, the years from 2001 to 2007 witnessed unprecedented levels of anxiety and change.
One of the dark legacies of this era was the increase in school and public shootings, which since have became a tragic aspect of American life. The Beltway sniper attacks in 2002 instilled widespread fear.The 2007 Virginia Tech massacre resulted in 32 fatalities and numerous injuries, marking one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history. Between 2001 and 2007, dozens of such incidents underscored the growing challenges of gun violence in a country grappling with myriad internal and external threats.
In addition to the random violence and heightened security measures, Millennials also faced significant pressures in other areas of life. Many experienced an increasingly competitive educational environment, exacerbated by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which emphasized standardized testing and accountability. This legislation, while intended to improve educational standards, often resulted in a narrowed curriculum and stressed students and educators alike.
The combined effects of heightened security, societal fears, educational pressures, and the growing incidence of violence shaped a Millennial generation acutely aware of their precarious place in a rapidly changing world, while deepening Gen X’s ingrained sense that everything was broken beyond repair.
As the decade progressed, young adult Gen Xers and student-age Millennials faced an economy that was growing increasingly unstable. But it was the housing market boom, led by risky lending practices, that culminated in 2007 with the subprime mortgage crisis, and launched our transition to our current cultural Crisis stage.
