This thesis examines the transformation of musicians’ political engagement in the 1960s and highlights its embeddedness within the context of the capitalist system. In the early part of the decade, musicians’ political engagement was expressed primarily through direct commentary on current political developments. Toward the end of the decade, however, public political activism was increasingly replaced by personal, introspective expression, which is often labeled as apolitical. The study shows that this shift does not necessarily signal the end of musicians’ political engagement but rather a change in its mode of expression. Introspection and personal reflection function as subtle yet no less significant forms of political action. In the context of broader social changes and the growing influence of capitalist mechanisms of cultural production, it becomes evident that political engagement did not disappear but instead shifted into different, less direct yet still effective forms.
|