Diversity for the Ages: Teaching Intergenerational Diversity Prepared for distribution by the CSWE Gero-Ed Center

Purpose  Introduce activities into the classroom  Activities which lead students to understand the importance of social, political, and economic events across life span and the concept of cohort  How these events, the developmental process, and diversity interact

Foundation  Social Economic Political Context Comparison Life expectancy Population Index Social Economic Indicators  Generational Model

Generations  World War II Generation (1914 – 1929) **  Silent Generation (1930 – 1945) **  Vietnam Generation (1946 – 1955) **  Me Generation (1956 – 1965) **  Endangered Generation (1966 – 1980) **  Millennium Generation (1981 – 1996)  ?????? Generation ( ) **Hutchinson (1999) based on Sheehy 1995

WWII Generation  Resurgence of the KKK  Mass production (10 second car)  Women obtained the right to vote  Great Depression  African-Americans of this generation were the grandchildren of slaves

Silent Generation  Cold War/ “Red Scare”  Japanese American Concentration Camps  Leaders of the civil rights and feminist movements

Vietnam Generation  TV generation  Desegregated schools (Busing)  Assassination of a President and MLK  Watergate

Me Generation  Entitlement  Grew up during an era of prosperity  Working Mothers of the 1990s  Height of the Baby Boom  Man on the Moon

Endangered Generation  Challenger Explosion  Clinton First President voted  21 age limit for alcohol  18 voting age  Computer Kids  AIDS generation

Millennium Generation  Aids Epidemic  Gulf War  School violence  Home computers  2000 Election Indecision

??? Generation  No stay-at-home mother  Welfare reform 

Teaching Ideas  World War II or Silent Generation Oral History Interview (Social Welfare History)  Popular films and documentaries (Social Welfare History, Policy, HBSE, Child Welfare, Seminar, Introduction to Social Work)  Comparative Analysis Exercise (HBSE)  Modified Life History Grid (Practice Micro/Mezzo courses)

Oral History Interview  WWII or Silent Generation  Do an in-depth interview on political events /social events/ economic events  Students then recap what they have learned  Discuss how these events have impacted the individual  Discuss how these would impact treatment (practice courses)  or policy decisions (policy/history courses)

Film Exercise  Films/Books designed to supplement course material  Use films/Books in service learning  Students could do project by reading books to shut in  Students either read a book or view film with someone from that generation  In-depth discussion of individuals remembrances  Discuss impacts within paper

Comparative Analysis Exercise  Students select another generation  Preferably the WWII generation  Retain own characteristics  Jewish  Feminist  Analyze how their life would be similar  Understanding of faith  Analyze how their life would be different  Buying cheese burger today for the yearly wage of then

Modified Life History Grid  Basic Life history Grid  Age  Location  Family composite  School  Health  Activities  problems  Social/Political/Economic Events  Social events  Sept 11 th  Red Summer  World War II  Political changes  Election Indecision  Economic events  Stock Market Crash