Society’s Shadow: Studies in the Sociology of Countercultures, 1st Edition 1972

“Society’s Shadow: Studies in the Sociology of Countercultures” by Kenneth Westhues is an engaging and thought-provoking look at the people and movements that exist on the edges of mainstream society. First published in 1972 by McGraw-Hill Ryerson, the book was written during a period of intense social change, when youth movements, alternative lifestyles, and political dissent were reshaping public conversations across North America.

Rather than treating countercultures as oddities or passing trends, Westhues presents them as meaningful responses to social pressures and cultural expectations. He explores why groups form outside the mainstream, how they create their own values and identities, and what their existence reveals about the larger society around them. The writing is grounded in sociology, but the themes—conformity, rebellion, belonging, and resistance—are universal and remain relevant today.