Population - Dandelion is an essay about movements that are against the social structures whether it be government, organizations, schools or religion. These social structures also referred to as machines are designed to control people through the concept of panopticism (described by Michael Foucault). The essay focuses on a culture with a message (Hippies, flower children) and how they set out to change the machine, but this concept can apply to all types of movements no matter the day and age or region.

In the essay M.T. Dismuke refers to these cultures as dandelions which are movements based on a collective thought and message. In other words a classic tale of man versus machine. These type of movements are typically met with resistance therefore they become suppressed, rejected, and discarded as a weed - the dandelions.