Generations An Overview of Generational Behavior, Attitudes, and Leadership The Open Classroom Spring 2010

Familial Generation  Average time between a mother’s first offspring and her daughter’s first offspring U.S. (2007) 25.2 years U.K. (2004) 27.4 years

Cultural Generation  Cohorts of people who were born in the same date range and share similar cultural experience  Impact of technology, economy, ecological change on mind set of a generation – during a cohort’s formative years (between childhood and adulthood)  Karl Mannheim emphasized that the rapidity of social change in youth was crucial to the formation of generations In periods of rapid social change, a generation would be much more likely to develop a cohesive character

Western World Generations (I)  The “Lost Generation” – Generation of 1914 in Europe (Gertrude Stein) – those who fought in WWI  The “Greatest Generation” – Veterans of WW II (Tom Brokaw)  The “Silent Generation” ( ) – Children of the Great Depression

Western World Generations (II)  The “Baby Boom Generation” – ( ) By share numbers, remodeled society Rejection of traditional values Associated with privilege & affluence

Western World Generations (III)  Generation X – Baby Bust Generation ( )  Generation Y (Millennials) (Echo boomers) (Mid-1970s-early 2000s)  Generation Z – Internet Generation “Digital Natives” (Early 1990s -)

Eastern World Generations (China)  The Post-80s (China’s Generation Y) (born )  “Little Emperors” (One Child Policy)  Optimism for the future; newfound consumerism and entrepreneurship

Eastern World Generations (Korea)  Defined around the democratization of the country “Democratization Generation” “June 3, 1987 Generation” – witnessed the June uprising “April 19 Generation” – struggled against Syngman Rhee regime in 1960

Eastern World Generations (India)  Independence in 1947 was a watershed in terms of generations  People born in the 1930s and 1940s tended to be loyal to the new state  Indian “Boomers” – born after independence and into the early 1960s – tended to link success to leaving India and were suspicious of traditional values and institutions  Generation X have seen an improvement in India’s economy  Generation Y continues this pattern

Strauss-Howe Generational Theory  William Strauss/Neil Howe Generations (1991) The Fourth Turning (1997)  American history as a series of generational biographies going back to 1584  Examine changes in human attitudes and behavior and in social mood

A “Generation” Shares:  Age Location in History – encounter key historical events and social trends during the same phase of life  Shared Beliefs and Behaviors  Perceived Membership in that generation

Two Different Types of Eras  Crises Marked by social upheaval (e.g. Great Depression, WWII)  Awakenings Marked by cultural or religious renewal (e.g. Consciousness Revolution of the 1960s) Ethic of Individualism/new spiritual agendas

Generational Cycles (Strauss- Howe)  About every years – the length of a human life – a national Crisis occurs in American society American Revolution (1770s/1780s) American Civil War (1860s) Great Depression (1930s) Great Recession (2000s)  Roughly halfway to the next Crisis, a cultural Awakening occurs – Revitalization Movement

Generational Archetypes  Generations that come of age as young adults during a Crisis or an Awakening directly absorb the lessons of that defining era and carry these lessons forward in their attitudes and behaviors later in life ( Dominant Generations )  Generations that grow up as children during a Crisis or an Awakening take a dependent role during the defining era, which shapes their later attitudes and behavior very differently (Recessive Generations)

Each Archetype shares: an age-location in history some basic attitudes toward family, risk, culture, values, and civic engagement Share collective personas and follow similar life-trajectories

Historical Generations  Arthurian Generation ( )  Humanist Generation ( )  Reformation Generation ( )  Reprisal Generation ( )  Elizabethan Generation ( )  Parliamentary Generation ( )  Puritan generation ( )  Cavalier Generation ( )  Glorious Generation ( )  Enlightenment Generation ( )  Awakening Generation ( )

Historical Generations (II)  Liberty generation ( )  Republican generation ( )  Compromise Generation ( )  Transcendental Generation ( )  Gilded Generation ( )  Progressive generation ( )  Missionary Generation ( )  Lost Generation (1883–1900) Lost Generation  G.I. Generation (1901–1924) G.I. Generation  Silent Generation (1925–1942) Silent Generation  (Baby) Boom Generation (1943–1960) (Baby) Boom Generation  13th Generation (Gen X) (1961–1981) 13th Generation  Millennial Generation (Gen Y) (1982–2004) Millennial Generation  Homeland Generation (Gen Z) (2005-?) Homeland Generation

Generational Archetypes: IDEALIST (Prophet)  Born after a Crisis during a time of rejuvenated community life around a new social order  Grow up as the increasingly indulged children of this post-Crisis era, come of age as self- absorbed young crusaders of an Awakening Focus on morals Values-oriented elder leadership Sam Adams, Ben Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Herbert Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt Baby Boomers ( )

Generational Archetypes: Reactive (Prophet)  Born during an Awakening, a time of social ideals and spiritual agendas  Young adults passionately attack the established institutional order  Grow up as under-protected children and come of age as alienated post-Awakening adults  Pragmatic midlife leaders during a crisis/grow into resilient post-Crisis elders Liberty, Survival, Honor George Washington, John Adams, Ulysses Grant, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower Generation X ( )

Generational Archetypes: Civic (Hero)  Born after an Awakening during a time of individual pragmatism, self-reliance, and laissez-faire  Grow up as increasingly protected post- Awakening children, come of age as team- oriented young optimists during a crisis, emerge as energetic, overly-confident mid- lifers, and politically powerful elders  Community, Affluence, and Technology  Cotton Mather, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan  Millenials ( )

Generational Archetypes: Adaptive (Artist)  Born during a Crisis, a time when great dangers cut down social and political complexity in favor of public consensus, aggressive institutions, and an ethic of personal sacrifice  Grow up overprotected by adults preoccupied with the Crisis, come of age as the socialized and conformist young adults of a post-Crisis world, process-oriented mid-lifers, and thoughtful post-Awakening elders  Expertise, Due Process  John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson  Silent Generation ( )

America’s Current Position (Howe)  As Boomers replace the Silent Generation as elder leaders, they will reject caution and compromise and act on moral absolutes  As Gen Xers replace Boomers in Mid- Life, they will apply a new pragmatic survivalism to management decisions  As Millenials replace Gen Xers in young adulthood, they will revitalize community, social discipline, and public purpose