The 1960S Essay, Research Paper

The 1960s

Mr. Basiuk is the person I chose for my interview. Rather than immigrating to Canada, Mr. Basiuk was born in Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1936. He was educated in high school to the north end of Winnipeg at St. John s Technical High School. He spent two years altogether in grade 10 and 11 then attended five years in the University Of Manitoba and graduated as an electrical engineer. Unfortunately, he was not able to find a job in this profession in this area, and therefore began his career as a teacher; and has been teaching for the last thirty years.

Interview

Who was in political power and how affective was he in accomplishing his goals? I wasn t really interested nor paid much attention to politics, therefore I cannot answer this question.

What things did you want to see changed by the government? What sort of problems did the government face and how were they solved? I wanted to see the government have more concern for the poor people. Things such as Medicare, OHIP, and pension plans. The government faced many problems, one of the most toughest, I think, was the deep recession occurring in the 60 s.

What special events or figures were most significant to you? Name some of the social trends you took part in. Well, I didn t have any hero s or someone to look up to until later on in my 20 s when someone invited me to Montreal to watch a folk singer called Pete Seager. From this time on, I became really dedicated and interested in music and this really influenced my life. I was a teacher than, so I didn t really take part in social events, yet there was a building north of Jarvis called Yorkville and teenagers would usually gather there to dance and have fun. I would occasionally go to that place.

State the differences in fashion from the 60 s and today. Which music group or band did you enjoy listening to? What types of dances did you enjoy? First of all, teenagers and especially woman would wear clothes with more colour and beads. Bellbottoms were in back at that time. There are certain people who wear lots of flowers and turned out to be called the flower power. This name was given because they believed that being “nice” to others would help change the country so they gave many people flowers and asked them to be their friend. I really enjoyed listening to folk music. There isn t any particular person I really admired for his or her music but originally Pete Seager started my career in music. Hmm… I didn t dance at all.

Name the movies you watched that were spectacular and why they were. What were the prices like? Ah, some of the movies I watched were mainly those with Marilan Grandle called On The Water Front, Sword O The Greek. I really enjoyed watching these movies because it gave me time to relax from my work and this was a new movie revolution. I think they were about two to three dollars.

What types of haircuts did you have and how would you compare them with today s? What types of food did you prefer eating then, and why? Believe it or not, I had long hair down to my shoulders. I still remember, however, that we all had to wear ties to school and not any regular t-shirts. I admit they weren t the best haircuts, but I wouldn t say today s are either. The things I mainly ate were perogies, cabbage rolls, and sour crums. The 60 s was the first time they ever ate things that were healthy such as salad, and other vegetables. Usually I would eat meat, meat, and just meat… eheh.

What was your philosophy of life? Do you remember any old sayings you can tell me? To do my best for others and respect their thoughts, stay honest, single, and young. I remember teenagers saying things like “don t trust anyone over 30″ and that s what they just did. Everyone rebelled against their parents. I guess there were so many teenagers then ever before since the Baby Boom. Teenagers gained control in the 60 s. Women, also gained some power as I recall… But I don t remember too much about it.

What type of economic problems did you face and did they affect your life? Was it difficult to find jobs, and how? Since I was a teacher at the age of 20, I had money rolling in, thus, I didn t really have any economic problems. I would say it was difficult but not too hard. I myself couldn t find a job in the fields I studies for so, that s why I became a teacher.

How did you feel about the FLQ crisis and how did this influence your life? Were you for or against separation? Why? I felt it was ridiculous that people had to use violence in order to get what they want. This, however, didn t influence my life in any way. I was definitely against it. I think that every province should be treated equally and there s no reason why Quebec should have special treatment. Actually, I feel somewhat strong about the Quebec situation; if I was in charge, I wouldn t give them anything that any of the other provinces don t get!

If there was one thing you could change in the 60 s, what would it be, and why? Drugs for sure. I feels that this was a major concern in the 60 s. Teenagers were testing drugs and obviously went crazy over them. They were also living with each other without getting married. Since this crisis hasn t been resolved at that time, it is now today s concern as well. Young people began to question a lot of things that they accepted to that point. You must understand that the 60 s was a time of change. It was the turning point from the years before the 60 s and the years after. Teenagers began to rebel against parents and authority and this reflected the way they lived in the 60 s. The 60 s were fun!

Analysis

This brief fortunate interview with Mr. Basiuk game me a general idea what it would be like living as a teen in the 60 s. I realize how someone who lived through the 60 s could have such a special and long lasting memory. No one could forget the thrilling, life risking, and especially fun filling 60 s. This was the time where parents orders were ignored and every thing was expressed freely. Drugs were a major teen crisis back then, and now as well. A person who did not have fun in the 60 s is considered not to have lived through it.

The 60 s has been a time where everything changed and many revolutions began, such as music, fashion, movies, and food. Yes, definitely this time would never be forgotten. Canada, surely had a big change. The 60 s made up what the 90 s are now. Parties rolled everywhere as politicians continued to fight for or against separatism. Everything was happening all at once, it was a hectic movement for everyone. Those who were well off were care freeing, whereas, the less fortunate spent hours on the streets begging or using drugs. Protests were common everywhere, especially in Quebec where separatism was the main issue. People assumed that things could be done through violent actions. And although, it was clearly understood it solves nothing, it still was neglected. Every moment in the 60 s shall be cherished and you ll be surprised on how much detail and insights people can still recall about that decade. A lot happened in the 60 s!

Being this my very first time interviewing a person, I found it ran smoothly despite some major technical delays. It was hard at first, but once I got into it, everything went perfectly-as I hoped. Being an interviewer is not easy. You just don t sit there, ask questions, record the response, and then leave. I realize that in order to have the best results of an interview, you have to sit there and listen carefully. Understand what the person is saying, look at his expressions and gestures, and most of all, try to see things in the way he s telling them and not the way you want to hear them. It s amazing how I felt when Mr. Basiuk started telling me his experiences in the 60 s. Interviewing someone really does help building character and can be fun as well.