Reading through threads recently, paricularly ones about "kids today" made me ponder whether or not people on the forum were aware of or had read anything about Strauss and Howe's Generational Theory?
Strauss-Howe generational theory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Strauss and Neil Howe are historians. They set out to produce a work telling the history of America from the perspective of the generations who lived them, a generational biography if you will. This work became known as
Generations. While writing it they discovered a pattern of four "Turnings" and four generational "Archetypes" that produce an almost predictable pattern (each turning lasts 20 years and they repeat every 80 years, roughly) that has influenced the course of events and societal outlook. This work was known as
The Fourth Turning. They have also gone on to write two additional works expanding on this theory and projecting it forward into our current time and near future. These books were primarily focused on prepping businesses and universities for the changes the current coming of age generations would bring, these works were titled
The Next Twenty Years and
Millenials Go to College.
While their work is essentially nothing more than a well researched and thought out theory, the conclusions they draw certainly hold weight and reading them speaks much to the interaction between generations, particularly children, parents and grandparents. Having read their work extensively in college history classes, I tend to find it useful to look back on when I am interacting with people of various ages. Here is the summary in a nutshell (yes, I am borrowing heavily from the wiki article):
There are Four Turnings, with each phase occupying 20 years. So, a complete cycle lasts 80 years or roughly one human life. These Turnings are generally epitomized by the generation that came of age during that time. These are broken down as follows:
High - Highs occur after a crisis. Insitutions are strong and individualism is weak. Society is confident about where it wants to go collectively, but those outside the majoritarian center feel stifled by conformity. The last American high was the period from 1946 until the assassination of JFK in 1963. The Silent Generation (born 1925-1942) came of age during this time and they are known for their caution, conformity and institutional trust. Most married early, had children, sought stable lifelong corporate jobs and moved to suburbs.
Awakening - This is an era when institutions are attacked in the name of personal and spiritual autonomy. Just when society is reaching its high tide of public progress, people suddenly tire of social discipline and want to recapture a sense of personal authenticity. Young activists look back at the previous High as an era of cultural and spiritual poverty. The most recent Awakening was the "Consciosness Revolution" which spanned from the protests and social unrest of the 1960's to the tax revolts of the 1980's. The Boomers (born 1943-1960) came of age during this time. They were marked by high idealism and emphasis on self expression.
Unraveling - The mood of this era is in many ways the opposite of a High: Institutions are weak and distrusted, while individualism is strong and flourishing. Highs come after Crises, when society wants to coalesce and build. Unravelings come after Awakenings, when society wants to atomize and enjoy. The "Long Boom" and "Culture Wars" from the mid 1980's to the mid-late 2000's are the most recent Unraveling. The era began with a new ethic of individualism (Reagan’s “
Morning in America”), which has developed into an edgy popular culture, a pervasive distrust of institutions and leaders, and the splitting of national consensus into competing “values” camps. Generation X (born 1961-1981) epitomizes this era with their risk taking, free agency and market orientation.
Crisis - This is an era in which America’s institutional life is destroyed and rebuilt in response to a perceived threat to the nation’s survival. Civic authority revives, cultural expression redirects towards community purpose, and people begin to locate themselves as members of a larger group. Fourth Turnings have all been new “founding moments” in America’s history, moments that redefined the national identity. Our last Crisis was the Great Depression and WW2, we are now entering another Crisis age with its beginning marked as the current "Great Recession". The GI Generation (born 1914-1928) came of age during this time. Their confidence, optimism and collective outlook defined the mood of the era. Today's Millenial Generation (born 1982-2000) share many of these same attributes.
Sorry, for the long post, but this is interesting stuff...at least to me. Finally I will touch on what are the Four Archetypes of generations:
Prophet generations (dominant) are born
after a Crisis, during a time of rejuvenated community life and consensus around a new societal order.
Prophets 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 and principles in midlife, and emerge as elders guiding another Crisis. Due to this location in history, such generations tend to be remembered for their coming-of-age fervor and their values-oriented elder leadership. Their main societal contributions are in the area of
vision, values, and
religion. The current Prophets are the Boomers (born 1943-1960).
Nomad generations (recessive) are born
during an Awakening, a time of social ideals and spiritual agendas, when young adults are passionately attacking the established institutional order.
Nomads grow up as under-protected children during this Awakening, come of age as alienated, post-Awakening adults, become pragmatic midlife leaders during a Crisis, and age into resilient post-Crisis elders. Due to this location in history, such generations tend to be remembered for their fast-paced, alienated rising-adult years and their midlife years of pragmatic leadership. Their main societal contributions are in the area of
liberty, survival and
honor. The current Nomads are Generation X (born 1961-1981).
Hero generations (dominant) are born
after an Awakening, during a time of individual pragmatism, self-reliance, and laissez faire.
Heroes grow up as increasingly protected post-Awakening children, come of age as team-oriented young optimists during a Crisis, emerge as energetic, overly-confident midlifers, and age into politically powerful elders attacked by another Awakening. Due to this location in history, such generations tend to be remembered for their collective military triumphs in young adulthood and their political achievements as elders. Their main societal contributions are in the area of
community, affluence, and
technology. The current Hero's are the GI Generation (born 1914-1928) and the Millenials (born 1982-2000).
Artist generations (recessive) are 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.
Artists grow up overprotected by adults preoccupied with the Crisis, come of age as the socialized and conformist young adults of a post-Crisis world, break out as process-oriented midlife leaders during an Awakening, and age into thoughtful post-Awakening elders. Due to this location in history, such generations tend to be remembered for their quiet years of rising adulthood and their midlife years of flexible, consensus-building leadership. Their main societal contributions are in the area of
expertise and
due process. The current example of this generation is the Silents (born 1925-1942) and the Homelanders (born 2001+).
I found this last part to be VERY interesting and serves as nice summary:
One reason why the cycle of archetypes recurs is that each youth generation tries to correct or compensate for what it perceives as the excesses of the midlife generation in power. For example, Boomers (a Prophet generation, whose strength is individualism, culture and values) raised Millennial children (a Hero generation, whose strength is in collective civic action).
Archetypes do not create archetypes like themselves, they create opposing archetypes. As Strauss and Howe explain,
“your generation isn’t like the generation that shaped you, but it has much in common with the generation that shaped the generation that shaped you.”
***Basically, your kids have much more in common with their GRANDPARENTS, then they ever will with you in terms of their outlook on society. Maybe this is why kids and grandparents get along so well, they tend to share the same ideals.***
This also occurs because the societal role that feels freshest to each generation of youth is the role being vacated by a generation of elders that is passing away. In other words, a youth generation comes of age and defines its collective persona just as an opposing generational archetype is in its midlife peak of power, and the previous generation of their archetype is passing away.
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And my children have a 60 yr gap between them and their grandparents. 
Peace out, Baby. 
