Students and dissent

Within the broader scenario of research conducted during the 1960s on student protest and the consolidation of the youth counterculture, this chapter presents a reading of the analysis carried out by social psychologist Kenneth Keniston on the forms of dissent that involved US students during that historical period. The chapter aims to highlight how Keniston’s proposal to identify a ‘new image’ of youth through the analysis of the intertwining of processes of social change, the biographical dimension and psycho-social development—placed at the base of his reflection on youth cultures—is not only useful for those who study youth cultures but also for those interested in the analysis of educational processes. The dissent that animated the young students Keniston describes is a constructive dissent, based on a critical spirit, a sense of civic responsibility, and political participation—all salient educational concepts. Therefore, in this chapter, the writers attempt to reflect critically on Keniston’s contribution to the study of youth cultures, attempting to grasp, within his theoretical and methodological framework, both the elements of continuity and those of discontinuity that—some 60 years later—still represent an effective guide for those who approach the study of youth and youth cultures.