Tony At 10: THE GENERATION GAP; BLOG # 142; AUGUST 1,2014 completed

THE MESSAGE:

Some historians find it convenient to divide the population into generation groups spanning approximately 20 years. I have used the grouping to try to point out the main features of each generation over the last 60 years. It is also worth noting the conflict that exists between these groups, is often referred to as the 'Generation Gap'.

‘BABY BOOMERS’ REFERS TO THE GENERATION BORN BETWEEN 1940 AND 1960.

As a group, they were the wealthiest, most active, and most physically fit generation up to that time, and amongst the first to grow up genuinely expecting the world to improve with time.

Some historians have argued that it was a part of a desire for normalcy after 16 years of depression and war. Others have argued that it was a part of a Cold War campaign to fight communism by outnumbering communists.

In 1940 a woman got married, on average, when she was almost 22 years old; in 1956, the average American woman got married when she was just 20. Many people in the postwar era looked forward to having children because they were confident that the future would be one of comfort and prosperity.

In many ways, they were right: Corporations grew larger and more profitable, labor unions promised generous wages and benefits to their members, and consumer goods were more plentiful and affordable than ever before. As a result, many Americans felt certain that they could give their families all the material things that they themselves had done without.

This era saw a great expansion of suburbia as houses were built to accommodate veterans and young married couples. They found that moving to the suburbs was affordable and desirable. Young mothers were encouraged to leave the work force to become stay at home care givers. The children of these suburban parents became known as 'Baby Boomers'

The idea that a woman’s most important job was to bear and rear children was hardly a new one, but it took on a new significance in the postwar era. First, it placed the baby boomers squarely at the center of the suburban universe. Second, it generated a great deal of dissatisfaction among women who yearned for a more fulfilling life.

This era also saw a huge increase in consumerism as adults, egged on by advertisements, were bent on making their suburban family home comfortable with all the amenities. Their children grew and developed in this atmosphere. Some grabbed it with both hands. Others decided to drop out and become 'hippies'. Still others, influenced by college and university attendance, became aware of societal disadvantage, economic inequality, civil rights of minorities and opposition to the war in Vietnam.

As a group, they were the wealthiest, most active, and most physically fit generation up to that time, and amongst the first to grow up genuinely expecting the world to improve with time

'GENERATION X' REFERS TO THOSE BORN BETWEEN 1961 AND 1980

They grew up with Cabbage Patch dolls, platform shoes, mini skirts and colour TV. They enjoyed taking toys apart, loud music, sibling rivalry, and staying out late as teens. GenXers have a strong feeling of individuality. They developed the ability to customize their things, computers, bed rooms, music collections etc.

They questioned authority, sought a bigger meaning in life and work, became technologically savvy and wanted to live only in the present. They considered challenge and variety being more important than job security and benefits. The biggest goal was to achieve a balance between work and life away from work.

It is often thought of as the 'lost generation. The letter "X" was meant to signify the generation's random, ambiguous, contradictory ways.

With more Baby Boomers delaying retirement than expected, a lot of Gen Xers find themselves butting up against the ‘grey ceiling’ and are being stalled mid-career. They are thought of, by their Boomer Bosses, as somewhat arrogant; “expecting to start as interns on Monday and be chief executive officers by Friday.”

Jeff Gordinier

Jeff Gordinier debunks the myth that Xers are slackers. He argues that Generation X has indeed changed the world. Citing Gen-X icons like Quentin Tarantino and Jon Stewart, along with Gen-X triumphs like Google, YouTube, and Amazon, among others. Gordinier believes that not only are Xers far from being losers, they might be the most unsung and influential generation of all time. "Gen-X stomping grounds such as the espresso bar, the record shop and the thrift store have been resurrected in digital form. "The new bohemia is less a place than it is a headspace. It's flexible enough to bypass all the old binaries. It encompasses mass and class, mainstream and marginal, yuppie and refusenik, gearhead and Luddite. It's everywhere and nowhere in particular," he writes. In short, GenXers are doing the quiet work of keeping America from sucking."

'GENERATION “Y” ' REFERS TO PEOPLE BORN BETWEEN 1981 AND THE YEAR 2000.

In Canada there are 12 million of them. This generation has stereotypically been tagged with unflattering labels by their baby boomer employers. They are considered to be lazy and unprofessional with an overabundant sense of entitlement. These guys posses a familiarity and some degree of expertise in the world of digital technology.

The reality is that Generation Y has surpassed the Boomers as the most educated and most diverse generation in history. It is the first generation to have more women than men complete a post secondary education.