The Aging of Aquarius: The Hippies of the 60s in Their 60s and Beyond

Description

There is no group of individuals more iconic of 1960s counterculture than the hippies - the long-haired, colorfully dressed youth who rebelled against mainstream societal values, preached and practiced love and peace, and generally sought more meaningful and authentic lives. These 'flower children' are now over sixty and comprise a significant part of the older population in the United States. While some hippies rejoined mainstream American society as they grew older, others still maintain the hippie ideology and lifestyle. This book is the first to explore the aging experience of older hippies by examining aspects related to identity, generativity, daily activities, spirituality, community, end-of-life care, and wellbeing. Based on 40 in-depth interviews with lifelong, returning, and past residents of The Farm, an intentional community in Tennessee that was founded in 1971 and still exists today, insights into the subculture of aging hippies and their keys to wellbeing are shared.

Galit Nimrod is a Professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. Aiming to deepen the understanding of wellbeing in later life, Nimrod has published over 100 articles in leading scientific journals and collective volumes, and presented her studies at numerous international conferences. Her significant contributions were acknowledged, among others, by Academia Europea and the American Academy of Leisure Studies.

'A beautiful book about a beautiful generation that seems to have disappeared from our awareness. It brings back memories and understandings and integrates them with current knowledge about life course transitions and the effects of aging. A must-read for anyone interested in aging as a holistic experience incorporating past, present, and future.' Liat Ayalon, Bar Ilan University, Israel 'The enthusiasm with which Nimrod has approached the mythological counterculture of the hippies extends into the reading. Nimrod's sensitive, respectful and nuanced ethnography takes you into the heart of the hippie community and captures its ethics, ideology, and everyday whereabouts in vivid detail. A reference point for future counterculture studies.' Goeran Bolin, Soedertoern University, Sweden 'The Aging of Aquarius is a significant contribution to a little researched area. Presented with rigour, passion, care, and a deep immersion in the lives of aging hippies committed to creating a better world, the book offers everyone, including non-hippies, important messages for living the good life and aging well.' Sherry L. Dupuis, University of Waterloo, Canada 'This is a fascinating account of one of the United States' longest-standing hippie communities, The Farm, as seen through the eyes of its members who were there at the beginning - the beginning both of the community and of the countercultural movement from which it sprang. Not only does it serve as an account of the community itself, but it also illuminates the lives and stories of its members and the impact of that movement in shaping their later lives. Rich in detail and depth, and broad-ranging in its themes, the author highlights the role of a particular 'standpoint generation' in shaping the 'new' aging of today. Highly recommended to academics and non-academics alike, The Aging of Aquarius brings a new and original lens to the changing contours of later life and the persisting influence of America's own 'cultural revolution.'' Chris Gilleard, University College London, UK 'The Aging of Aquarius is a living testimony to the evergreen power of the undying revolutionary movement and moment of the youth culture of the 1960s turned contemporary boomers. In a vividly engaging qualitative pioneering study, Galit Nimrod unfolds the thriving life and ethos of a community of hippie veterans who survived the turbulent spirit of the time and the ravages of the life cycle to recreate a sense of enduring identity in a flowery environment where aging stands still. This historical memorial for a myth of eternal youth entwined with lessons for graceful and gracious aging should be read by anybody who strives for hope in the age of Mars.' Haim Hazan, Tel Aviv University, Israel 'The Aging of Aquarius is a vivid journey into the hippie counterculture of The Farm, evoking important questions of American idealism, identity, and spirituality. I am grateful to Galit Nimrod for her impeccable and compassionate research into the hippie generative legacy of natural medicine, organic foods, environmental advocacy, and New Age sustainable living.' Stephen Katz, Trent University, Canada 'By exploring the aging experience within the specific context of a commune, this book provides unique and authentic insights into the value of work, intergenerational collaboration, leisure, spirituality, and community. Thus, the true legacy of the counterculture movement - often simply portrayed as a commercial lifestyle statement - is presented as continuous individual as well as collective interpretations of political, social, and cultural meaning throughout the life course.' Roberta Maierhofer, University of Graz, Austria 'In the 1960s era, many hippies declared that we shouldn't trust anyone over thirty. But what do those hippies think now that they are reaching old age themselves? Galit Nimrod has interviewed dozens of them and tells us how their worldview has changed and how it has stayed the same.' Tim Miller, University of Kansas, USA 'If 'Forever Young' was the 1960s hip counterculture's defining mantra, then Galit Nimrod captures that essence in her fascinating study of hippies, their ethos, and lifestyles as they grew older in the post-1960s decades. Through the hip counterculture's elders, Nimrod explores how hippie attitudes about life have been maintained and have been responsible for helping many former hippies enjoy an envious quality of life in their later years. Nimrod confirms the hippie values of community, relationships, healthy eating, and exercise. These lifestyle values first propagated and embraced by the 1960s hip counterculture have become mainstream keys to a peaceful, fulfilling-and thus different perception-of elder years.' John Moretta, Houston Community College, USA 'This original book presents a detailed, appealing, and insightful portrayal of the aging experience of older hippies. Relying on delicate, profound, and systematic analysis, it offers a wealth of insights that touch on essential universal concerns, such as identity, community, and well-being, relevant to anyone, at any age, from any culture.' Gabriela Spector-Mersel, Sapir Academic College, Israel 'This lively monograph centered on a hippie commune offers a rich ethnographic sweep of its history, changing lifestyle, life-course adjustments, and main transitions in the wider society. It is a major contribution to the literature on present-day alternative lifestyles.' Robert A. Stebbins, University of Calgary, Canada 'This book contains an insightful reflection about the power of cultural values to model the way we negotiate our aging identity and position ourselves towards the community, the future, and our own finitude. Beyond subculture particularities, the author is also able to distillate illuminating lessons about how to age gracefully, in a hippie way.' Feliciano Villar Posada, University of Barcelona, Spain