re: All things considered, do you think the 1960s were positive for society?

I think the whole counterculture/revolution in social norms is good in the long run because it will eventually truly allow for equal rights for all, which wouldn't be possible without change. But in the short run (even today) bucking a bunch of social rules is difficult and causes a lot of suffering for a lot of people on both sides of the fence before everyone figures out a new social order that is actually stable. The the countries in Africa that gained independence are a good example. A lot of them are far worse off under the local dictator than they ever were under colonial rule. Some disastrously so.