What would some good questions be to interview someone about the hippie age?

“How do we bring it all back?”

That’d be my question…

You can discuss love-ins, communes, protests, drugs, sex, dropping out, and how the whole thing went down.

Ask about how it all started, and the relationship with anti-war sentiment and the peace movement.

Start with “Tell me about….” or “How did you feel about…?” That will get the ball rolling.

If you want to be taken seriously, don’t start by asking about the sex and drugs. They are adults now with adult kids and might not want to bring up their past indiscretions.

I think asking how they supported themselves and their lifestyle would be a great start. That would offer an incredible look under the hood as to how they survived and made it all happen.

Got weed?

Can I go back, please, please?

As the years have gone on, what is your real view of the Vietnam war?

Please explain how Turn on, Tune in, and Drop Out affected you.

Jimi and Janis or Beach Boys and Donovon?

What specific political and social issues were you passionate about?
Did you attend any demonstrations?
What was your favorite thing to do on the weekends?
Where did you work? (What was it like? How does the workforce differ today?)
Is the world like you thought it’d be?
Do you feel like today’s youth is more or less radical?
Any flashbacks? :)
Do you feel safer now than you did in the 60’s?
—-vehicle safety, sex, crime, etc.
How jarring was it to transition into the 70’s and then the 80’s?

You could try watching Making Sense of the Sixties (excerpt) , an excellent series, in my opinion.

And don’t forget the drugs, they were an integral part of the era.

Ask: What was your reaction to the Port Huron Statement?

Ask: What do these sixties slogans mean to you:

“Flower Power.”

“Free your mind and your @ss will follow.”

“Fighting for peace is like f**king for chastity.”

Then ask, “Do you feel they have relevance in today’s world?”

In addition to the great questions above;
Now that you are older and look back, what do you think was the reason for the hippie movement at that time in history?
Why were you a hippie? Was it something you sought?
What was your daily life like and how had your life changed?
What was your personal role in changing the world during that time?
Were you happy? (why or why not)
List the 20 best and worst things about being a hippie and/or the movement.
How many friends did you loose to the War, moving out of the country to avoid the draft, or to drugs?
How do you feel about that time and your experiences overall.
What did the World, Country and you benefit and/or learn…(the greatest lessons)
And “always” ask “is there anything more you would like to add.

I would start by asking about the music, and take it from there. After all, the best music came from that era, and it all changed in the late 60’s. It litereallly changed the world. At least my world.

Were you analytical, or going with the flow?
If you were going with the flow, what’s your analysis looking back?
How do you think the hippie worldview was connected to the
worldview of those people’s parents?
Do you continue to live those values? In what parts of your life?
Have you been disillusioned by events since then?
What good did it all do?
Do you think it was inevitable?
Why?

I like to start with the end and then see how it happened. So I might start with something like “What differences do you think you would see in society today had there never been a hippie age?”

@thriftymaid You might want to start with “What is, or was, a hippie?” The term was coined by a writer for the San Francisco Examiner, (in an article by Michael Fallon, I think).

I would be glad to be a subject for this interview. if you are interested, PM me.