The Sociological and Political Subtleties of Woodstock Essay

The Sociological and Political Subtleties of Woodstock The Woodstock festival descended on Bethel, New York promising three days of peace and music. Event organizers anticipated 15,000 people would attend but were overwhelmed by the 300,000 people that flooded this rural area of New York state from August 15 -17, 1969. While these facts are well known and indisputable, the festival itself has proven to be a controversial endeavor. What began as a small business venture was soon brimming with the controversy of an entire decade. It becomes clear when examining the strikingly different accounts of the festival that reactions varied depending on the fundamental values and personal circumstances specific to each observer and to the†¦show more content†¦This approach gives the book a distinct atmosphere as it reads like one giant conversation, allowing the reader to appreciate Woodstock as the undertaking of many.[3] An examination of Joel Makower’s other work reveals his qualifications to describe Woodstock’s stat us as a business venture. He has authored or co-authored at least twenty books, many of which involve business and investing. His other works include studies of the media and an American history sourcebook.[4] While Makowers description of the production of Woodstock outlines an outwardly gradual process of preparation and decisions, newspapers of the era provide the initial shock and public reaction of the festival. Outrage felt by local citizens of Bethel is displayed in an article written by Alfonso A. Narvaez and printed in The New York Times on August 20, 1969. The article conveys the frustration felt by local residents as an influx of thousands caused massive traffic jams, widespread property damage, and a shortage of basic necessities and sanitary facilities. Many local businesses were ill prepared to provide needed goods and services to such an enormous group of people. The Bethel post office was closed while dairy farmers were forced to dump fresh milk because neither mail trucks nor milk trucks