A weblog with random thoughts and reflections on society and ecology.
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Thursday, January 02, 2003
Generations or Not
In the 1950s, 60s and 70s, generational differences were often obvious and pronounced. Today, grouping people by age may be increasingly less useful. My sense is that vertical groupings (by interests/worldviews) now are stronger than the horizontal (by age groups). This may be especially true when it comes to interests and values.
Here are some examples from my own life:
I helped organize several discussion groups on sustainability topics in Madison. Participants all had similar interests, values and guidelines for their choices and life, and spanned all age groups from young adults to retired folks. Differences by age lines rarely came up. The same was true for the residents and members of the Zen center I lived at in Salt Lake City, and other groups I have been involved in where people are coming together around a common interest. My friends are similarly from all age groups.
On the other hand, I feel I have little in common with my own age group - apart from those I share a specific interest with (and there are no more from my own age group than any other it seems). It is possible that this is related to my particular situation, but I suspect it is a broader trend.
The sociological findings summarized by Paul Ray and Sherry Anderson in the bookCultural Creatives seem to confirm that this may be more than my experience.
21:50
|
|
| |
|
|
|
