Generations


What is a generation? - Special cohort-group whose lenth matches that of a basic phase of life. Events shape generational personalitiesaccording to their phase of life.

Generations come in cycles. The authors produce the following model:

Generation

Birth Years
Age in 1991
Age in 2013
GI
1901 – 1924
66-89
88-111
Silent
1925-1942
48-65
70-87
Boomers
1943-1960
30-47
52-69
Xers
1961-1981
9-29
31-51
Millenials
1982-2003
0-8
9-30
Unnamed
2004 - ??
Not alive
0-8



Generations are shaped by “Social Moments” – an era, typically lasting about a decade, when people perceive historic events are radically altering their social environment.

2 types of Social Moments

Secular Crisis – when society focuses on reordering the outer world of institutions and public behavior

Spiritual Awakenings – when society focuses on changing the inner world of values and behavior

These 2 types of social moments tend to alternate
Generation Types



Idealists (Boomers) – Grows up after a secular crisis, comes of age in a spiritual awakening, narcissitic as rising adults, moralistic midlifers, visionary elders


Reactives (Xers) – underprotected youths during spiritual awakening, risk taking adults, pragmatic midlifers, respect as elders


Civics (Gis, Millenials) – protected youths during spiritual awakening, comes of age in secular crisis, achieving as rising adults, builds institutions as midlifers, and busy elders during spiritual awakening


Adaptives (Silent, Unnamed) – overprotected youths during secular crisis, risk avers rising adults, indecisive midlife during spiritual awakening, influence as sensitive elders






















GI
Silent
Boomers
Xers
Millenial
Unnamed
Civic
Crisis
Adaptive
Idealist
Spiritual Awakening
Reactive
Civic
Crisis
Adaptive















































The authors argue that “peer personality” is driven by non-elites. Is this the case? What kind of a role do opinion leaders play in setting a generation’s tone?


Do Millenials have a “peer personality”? Are they shaped more by the 90s or the current decade?

What is your assessment of the Generations theory? Is it too impressionistic?