Countercultures: The Beat Generation

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In every generation there are countercultures, some more prominent and influential than others that go against social norms. Jack Kerouac brought to light the counterculture known as The Beat Generation from under the veil of the conservative surface in the 1950’s, in his book On the Road. This generation was so influential that they were the driving force behind the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 60’s and 70’s. Having strong ideas and values about freedom and personal fulfillment, that they perused relentlessly, they created big changes and even inspired generations after them who feel dissatisfied with the pressures to conform to instead push against the norms of society. A counterculture as defined by Merriam-Webster’s dictionary is “a culture with values and morals that run counter to those of established society”. Countercultures arise mostly among younger generations who are just starting to develop their own sense of individuality and those who are discontent with the cultural standards of the time, thus they adopt an alternative lifestyle that reflects their own values and beliefs. Some movements may be problematic promoting excessive drug use and destructive behavior while others serve to promote a usually positive change that expresses the morals and aspirations of a specific population at a given …show more content…

The counterculture in their rebellion to settle down had a good idea behind it, that finding someone that early in life and perusing a long-term relationship would really do more harm than anything by restricting both parties ability to grow and develop as individuals. The Beat generation were passionate, diligent and extraordinarily hungry human beings in their zeal for existentialism, finding themselves and the meaning of life through personal responsibility and free

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