I thought some of this might be original, but as you often find, many of the ideas had already been elaborated.
In researching, this I came across the term 'Generation X' which is often used these days in describing the generation which comes after the 'Baby Boom' generation.
I had wrongly assumed that I was a 'Baby Boomer'. FURTHER research showed that under the criteria used by people who dreamt up these terms that I wasn't I was the FIRST OF THE 'GENERATION Xers'.
THE 'OFFICIAL' CUT -OFF FOR DIVIDING 'BABY-BOOM' GENERATION FROM THE 'GENERATION X' GENERATION IS 1961....I WAS BORN IN 1962.
Many of the problems that I have experienced in my life (not to mention attitudes etc.) were exactly those described, in fact PREDICTED by those demographers/historians who set up these criteria.
I am relieved to say, that from an academic point of view, having read this stuff, there is still a lot that I can add....
...I am also aware that these sorts of classifications are an oversimplification which carries its own problems...
BUT NEVERTHELESS, THERE ARE STILL SOME VERY INTERESTING THINGS TO BE FOUND IIN THIS LITERATURE.
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| Early London Generation 'X'er - Preparing for a career in Investment Banking... and after an HR Outplacer suggested he consider 'Community Charity Work'. No 'Clash!' there! No future...Destroy...Gob on you |
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Here is the Wikipedia article on 'Generation X':
Generation XGeneration X, commonly abbreviated to Gen X, is the generation born after the Western post-World War II baby boom ended. [1] While there is no universally agreed upon time frame, [2] the term generally includes people born in the 1960s and 70s, ending in the late 1970s to early 80s, usually not later than 1982.[3][4][5] The term had also been used in different times and places for various different subcultures or countercultures since the 1950s.[6]
Contents
1 Origin
2 Date range
3 The "13th Generation"
4 Generation X in the United States
5 Generation X in Canada
6 See also
7 Notes
8 External links
Origin
The term Generation X was coined by the Magnum photographer Robert Capa in the early 1950s. He would use it later as a title for a photo-essay about young men and women growing up immediately after the Second World War. The project first appeared in "Picture Post" (UK) and "Holiday" (USA) in 1953. Describing his intention, Capa said 'We named this unknown generation, The Generation X, and even in our first enthusiasm we realised that we had something far bigger than our talents and pockets could cope with'.[7] Author John Ulrich explains that, "Since then, "Generation X" has always signified a group of young people, seemingly without identity, who face an uncertain, ill-defined (and perhaps hostile) future. Subsequent appearances of the term in the mid-1960s and mid-1970s narrowed the referent for "Generation X" from Capa's global generation to specific sets of primarily white, male, working class British youth sub-cultures, from the spiffy mods and their rivals the rockers, to the more overtly negationist punk subculture." [6]
The term was used in a 1964 study of British youth by Jane Deverson. Deverson was asked by Woman's Own magazine to interview teenagers of the time. The study revealed a generation of teenagers who "sleep together before they are married, were not taught to believe in God as 'much', dislike the Queen, and don't respect parents." Because of these controversial findings, the piece was deemed unsuitable for the magazine. Deverson, in an attempt to save her research, worked with Hollywood correspondent Charles Hamblett to create a book about the study. Hamblett decided to name it Generation X.[8]
The term was popularized by Canadian author Douglas Coupland's 1991 novel, Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, concerning young adults during the late 1980s and their lifestyles. While Coupland's book helped to popularize the phrase "Generation X," in a 1989 magazine article[9] he erroneously attributed the term to English musician Billy Idol. In fact, Idol had been a member of the punk band Generation X from 1976–1981, which was named after Deverson and Hamblett's 1965 sociology book—a copy of which was owned by Idol's mother.[10]
In the U.S. Generation X was originally referred to as the "baby bust" generation because of the drop in the birth rate following the baby boom.[11]
Date range
The exact date range that constitutes Generation X is the subject of diverging opinions. Part of the variance comes from slightly differing definitions of what exactly Generation X is. Geography can also influence date ranges. Another problem stems from the difficulty in exactly defining a generation by birth year, as Fran Kick explains, "please understand that there are no hard and fast lines that occur between December 31st of one year and January 1st of the next. More often than not, it's as shift that occurs over three to five years, maybe more depending on who you ask." [12]Most sources cite birth years throughout the 1960s and 70s. Some sources cite a start toward the mid 1960s. Some cite an end date before the end of the 1970s. Others cite an end in the early 1980s; 1981 is a common end date, but some sources show slightly later end dates.[5]
The "13th Generation"
In the 1991 book Generations, William Strauss and Neil Howe call this generation the "13th Generation" and define the birth years as 1961 to 1981. 1970, the approximate mid-point of the "13th Generation", had the lowest birth rate of this period.
According to the authors, Generation X is "the 13th generation" to be familiar with the flag of the United States (counting back to the peers of Benjamin Franklin).[3] The label was also chosen because, according to their generational theory, it is considered a "Reactive" or "Nomad" generation, composed of those who were children during a spiritual awakening.
Older generations generally have negative perceptions of Reactive generations—whose members tend to be pragmatic and perceptive, savvy but amoral, more focused on money than on art[13] -- and the use of 13 is also intended to associate this perception with the negative connotations of that number.
The authors highlight this negative perception by noting the popularity of "devil-child" movies, wherein children are portrayed as malevolent protagonists (e.g. Rosemary's Baby[14]), released soon after the generation's first members were born.[15]
Generation X in the United States
Individuals considered to be within Generation X were born, and grew up during the later years of, and in the decade following the Vietnam War. They are most often linked to the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.[16] Coming of age after the Vietnam War had ended, their political experiences and cultural perspective were shaped by the end of the cold war, the fall of the Berlin wall, and a series of US economic calamities such as the 1973 oil crisis, the 1979 energy crisis, the early 1980's recession, Black Monday (1987) and the savings and loan crisis - instilling a sense of economic uncertainty and a reduced expectation of long term fidelity between employers and employees.[citation needed] Growing up in a historical span of relative geopolitical peace for the US, this generation saw the inception of the home computer, the rise of videogames, cable television and the Internet as a tool for social and commercial purposes. Other attributes identified with this demographic are peaks in U.S. urban decay, the AIDS epidemic, the War on Drugs, the Dot-com bubble, the New York City blackout of 1977, the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, the Iran hostage crisis, the Iran-Contra Affair, Desert Storm, the rise and fall of disco, 1980s rock "hair bands" such as Motley Crue and Bon Jovi, new wave, techno and punk rock, gangsta rap, heavy metal, 1990s grunge/alternative rock bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam, and the hip hop culture. Along with early members of Generation Y, Generation Xers are sometimes referred to as the MTV Generation.[citation needed]
Compared with previous generations, Generation X represents a more heterogeneous generation, exhibiting great variety. They are diverse in such aspects as race, class, religion, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.[17]
Often the children of divorced parents,[citation needed] change is more the rule for the people of Generation X than the exception.[citation needed] Unlike their parents who challenged leaders with an intent to replace them, Generation X tend to ignore leaders.[18]
The US Census Bureau cites Generation X as statistically holding the highest education levels when looking at age group (bloc): US Census Bureau, in their 2009 Statistical Abstract.[citation needed] (Also see Education Statistics Canada, 2001 Census.)[citation needed]
In economics, a study (done by Pew Charitable Trusts, the American Enterprise Institute, the Brookings Institute, the Heritage Foundation and the Urban Institute) challenged the notion that each generation will be better off than the one that preceded it.[19] The study, 'Economic Mobility: Is the American Dream Alive and Well?" focuses on the income of males 30-39 in 2004 (those born April, 1964 – March, 1974) and is based on Census/BLS CPS March supplement data.[20] The study, which was released on May 25, 2007, emphasized that in real dollars, this generation's men made less (by 12%) than their fathers had at that same age in 1974, thus reversing a historical trend. The study also suggests that per year increases in the portion of father/son family household income generated by fathers/sons have slowed (from an average of 0.9% to 0.3%), barely keeping pace with inflation, though increases in overall father/son family household income are progressively higher each year because more women are entering the workplace, contributing to family household income.[21]
Generation X in Canada
Generation X in Canada has been defined by Canadian economist and demographer David Foot in his book Boom Bust & Echo: How to Profit from the Coming Demographic Shift as those born 1961-1966 [22]. Those born between the periods of 1947-1966 were the Baby Boomers, where in Canada they were the largest boom of the industrialized world (relative to population)[23]. This large boom complicated the job market for the upcoming generation, Generation X.[24]
See also
List of generations
Baby Boomers
Generation Y
Notes
1.^ Stephey, M.J. (2008-04-16). "Gen-X: The Ignored Generation?". Time. http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1731528,00.html. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
2.^ Encyclopedia of Identity By Ronald L. Jackson, II
3.^ a b Strauss, William & Howe, Neil. Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069. Perennial, 1992 (Reprint). ISBN 0-688-11912-3 p. 324
4.^
Shin, Annys (2008-01-03). "Non-Toxic Tots". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/29/AR2008022903658_pf.html. Retrieved 2010-09-28.
5.^ a b Carlson, Elwood (2008-06-30). The Lucky Few: Between the Greatest Generation and the Baby Boom. Springer. ISBN 978-1-4020-8540-6. http://books.google.com/books?id=zUJgaHde6YUC&lpg=PP1&pg=PT45&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false.
6.^ a b Ulrich, John. "Introduction: A (Sub)cultural Genealogy". In Andrea L. Harris. GenXegesis: essays on alternative youth. pp. 3. http://books.google.com/books?id=v10ZUR_Ca3EC&lpg=PA3&pg=PA3#v=onepage&q&f=false.
7.^ GenXegesis: essays on alternative youth (sub)culture By John McAllister Ulrich, Andrea L. Harris p. 5.
8.^ Asthana, Anushka & Thorpe, Vanessa. "Whatever happened to the original Generation X?". The Observer. January 23, 2005.
9.^ Coupland, Doug. "Generation X." Vista, 1989.
10.^ Generation X - A Punk History with Pictures
11.^ Encyclopedia of Identity By Ronald L. Jackson, II
12.^ Kick, Fran (2005). What makes kids kick:inspiring the millennial generation to kick it. Instruction & Design Concepts. pp. 33. http://books.google.be/books?id=FC2YMewhvdoC&pg=PA33#v=onepage&q&f=false.
13.^ Strauss & Howe, ibid, p. 365
14.^ Strauss & Howe, ibid, p. 30,
15.^ Strauss & Howe, ibid, p. 337,
16.^ Robinson, Peter (1997-10-31). "GEN X FILES". Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson. Hoover Institution. http://www.hoover.org/multimedia/uk/3420651.html. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
17.^ Isaksen, Judy L. (2002). "Generation X". St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g1epc/is_tov/ai_2419100500/.
18.^ http://www.notterconsulting.com/Articles/generationaldive.html
19.^ http://www.economicmobility.org/assets/pdfs/Economic_Mobility_in_America_Full.pdf
20.^ Economic Mobility Project
21.^ Ellis, David (2007-05-25). "Making less than dad did". CNN. http://money.cnn.com/2007/05/25/pf/mobility_study/index.htm?cnn=yes. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
22.^ Foot, David. Boom, Bust & Echo.Macfarlane Walter & Ross, 1996. ISBN 0-921912-97-8. p.22(
23.^ Foot, David. Boom, Bust & Echo.Macfarlane Walter & Ross, 1996. ISBN 0-921912-97-8. p.19(
24.^ http://archives.cbc.ca/society/youth/topics/1209-6689/
External links
[hide]v • d • eCultural Generations of Western Society
Lost Generation • Greatest Generation • Silent Generation • Baby Boom Generation • Generation X • Generation Y • Generation Z
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_X"
Categories: Cultural generations | Demographics | Postmodernism | Postmodern terminology
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