broad search simply for the definition here's another approach to make sure my research isn't tainted by cherrypicking i typed a neutral term into google definition beat generation here are the defnitions that i found going through four google pages only excluding repition and irrelevant sites these are hardly formal sources but the purpose of this exercise is to show that confusion about this term and how it is to be used is a genuine issue simply saying the one definition is the majority without putting effort into supporting the claim is not a valid way to prove a point sources that place subculture generation first and group of writers second sources that place group of writers first subculture generation second and also mention artists sources that only mention the group of writers not the subculture generation sources that only mention the group of writers not the subculture generation but also mention artists sources that only mention the subculture generation not the group of writers if this method genuinely points to a majority opinion then clearly this would be it iffy now for serious sources i encountered when typing the same term into google book search lawlor here identifies the exact problem i identified as being the major problem with this page a page like this which strives for accuracy should acknowledge that there is no set definition no majority no consus on how the term should be used several key questions are central to the study of the beat generation the first is whether a beat generation actually exists if the beat generation consists of kerouac ginsberg burroughs and a few others then the beat generation does not exist because a generation cannot be based on just a few people on the other hand if the beat generation includes dozens and dozens of artists including not only writers but also dancers painters sculptors musicians then the beat generation does not exist because the concept is too loose too vague william lawlor beat culture lifestyles icons and impact abc clio isbn pg for this one there may be some confusion by what kerouac means by people who had been beaten down since that could apply to either the small group or the broader subculture however morgan provides the same definition i presented earlier in which kerouac identifies it as certain members of the generation that came of age after world war ii who affected detachment etc it s conceivable that one might argue kerouac meant his group of friends by certain people but from many other sources he meant the broader subculture open for debate but let s have that debate instead of blindly dismissing without evidence to support counterclaims here s the quote from morgan once the press began to identify those writers collectively as the beat generation some within the group began to struggle with a definition for the word beat since it was jack kerouac who had originally coined the phrase he was asked repeatedly what he meant by it initially he said that the beat generation was composed of people who had been beaten down worn out and exhausted as time passed he refined his definition to emphasize the beatific blessed or sympathetic qualities of his generation bill morgan william morgan the typewriter is holy the complete uncensored history of the beat generation simon and schuster isbn there's more but i'm out of time