How Did American Counterculture Influenced American Culture

American counterculture is the rejection of conventional social norms. Usually counterculture is expressed by a subculture of people who have different from mainstream society. In the 1950’s through the end of the 1970’s, some of the social norms included racial segregation, the Vietnam War, and materialism. Through outspoken writings and loud rock concerts, American counterculture was loudly expressed and changed America to what it is today.

The Beat generation was a group authors who explored and influenced American culture through literature in the post-World War II era. The Beat writers were prominent in the 1950’s and their culture included experiencing with new drugs, explored new Eastern religions, and rejected materialism. One of
Woodstock was a gathering of all the now called “hippies” who were the icons of American counterculture. This group of people believed that they could change the world that was rooted in hatred, war, and greed, by focusing on loving each other. The culture that the Woodstock Youth was rejecting was that of their parents, which included radical segregation and support of the Vietnam War. This was an example of counterculture because in 1969, 50% of the nation supported the Vietnam War. The rock and roll was played at the festival was also a symbol of the overpowering counterculture and served as the engine for cultural and social reform movements like these. Rock and roll is also seen as an expression of the youth revolt against conformity and adulthood.

Counterculture is a way to impose changes in America. It takes a small group of people with different ideologies than the social norm to start a revolution. The writings of Ginsberg and loud rock and roll of Woodstock were examples of 50’s and 60’s counterculture that rejected the cultural standards of their elders and their ideologies became mainstream by the 1970’s to change America