What is a generation?
Discussion
Obviously, a generation at a simple level if the gap between parent and child, but when you see it used as a generic term (eg: Respect for authority has diminished over the last 3 generations), how long does it mean?
I had my first child at the age of 32, and my father had his first child when he was 31, so two generations in our family would be a 63 year span.
In the same period of time, a stereotypical Chav breeding clan could quite easily be on their way to a fourth generation.
What, therefore, is "a generation" as far as society at large is concerned?
I had my first child at the age of 32, and my father had his first child when he was 31, so two generations in our family would be a 63 year span.
In the same period of time, a stereotypical Chav breeding clan could quite easily be on their way to a fourth generation.
What, therefore, is "a generation" as far as society at large is concerned?
I've always viewed a generation as 10 years unless specificaly talking about families.
10 years is long enough that within that time technology, culture, music, certain thinking can change enough for it to be different enough to make a difference.
Maybe a bit short really.
10 years is long enough that within that time technology, culture, music, certain thinking can change enough for it to be different enough to make a difference.
Maybe a bit short really.
Edited by Asterix on Tuesday 3rd November 13:44
Generations are stages of natural descent.
Over the years, there have been many generations, but in literal terms, these are as followed:
Western world
There have been many conflicting attempts to enumerate the generations of the western world.[4] Here are a few common definitions:
* The Lost Generation, primarily known as the Generation of 1914 in Europe,[5] were those who fought in the First World War.
* The Interbellum Generation is composed of those born at the close of the 19th century and were young adults during the 1920s.
* The Greatest Generation is the generation that includes the veterans who fought in World War II. They were born from around 1910 to the mid-1920s, coming of age during the Great Depression. Journalist Tom Brokaw dubbed this the Greatest Generation in a 1998 book of the same name.[6]
* The Silent Generation is the generation that includes those who were too young to join the service during World War II. Many had fathers who served in World War I. Generally recognized as the children of the Great Depression, this event during their formative years had a profound impact on this generation.
* The Baby Boom Generation is the generation that was born during World War II to the late 50s, a time that was marked by an increase in birthrates worldwide.[citation needed] Baby Boomers in their teenage and college years were characteristically part of the counterculture of the 1960s, the generation remained widely committed to keystone values such as gender equality, racial equality, and environmental stewardship.[7]
* Generation X is the generation generally defined as those born after the baby boom ended,[8] extending from around 1960 to the late 1970s.[9] They were the first generation with widespread access to television during their formative years. Other names used interchangeably with Generation X are 13th Generation,[7] and Baby Busters. As young adults, this generation was characterized by the Yuppies, or young urban professionals.
* Generation Y is also known as Generation Next or the Millennials.[10] Generation Y spans from the late 1970s to the late 1990s.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]
* The following Generation, referred to as Generation Z, and various other names, was born between the mid-1990s and end of the 2000s.[23][24][25]
From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_generations#L...
Over the years, there have been many generations, but in literal terms, these are as followed:
Western world
There have been many conflicting attempts to enumerate the generations of the western world.[4] Here are a few common definitions:
* The Lost Generation, primarily known as the Generation of 1914 in Europe,[5] were those who fought in the First World War.
* The Interbellum Generation is composed of those born at the close of the 19th century and were young adults during the 1920s.
* The Greatest Generation is the generation that includes the veterans who fought in World War II. They were born from around 1910 to the mid-1920s, coming of age during the Great Depression. Journalist Tom Brokaw dubbed this the Greatest Generation in a 1998 book of the same name.[6]
* The Silent Generation is the generation that includes those who were too young to join the service during World War II. Many had fathers who served in World War I. Generally recognized as the children of the Great Depression, this event during their formative years had a profound impact on this generation.
* The Baby Boom Generation is the generation that was born during World War II to the late 50s, a time that was marked by an increase in birthrates worldwide.[citation needed] Baby Boomers in their teenage and college years were characteristically part of the counterculture of the 1960s, the generation remained widely committed to keystone values such as gender equality, racial equality, and environmental stewardship.[7]
* Generation X is the generation generally defined as those born after the baby boom ended,[8] extending from around 1960 to the late 1970s.[9] They were the first generation with widespread access to television during their formative years. Other names used interchangeably with Generation X are 13th Generation,[7] and Baby Busters. As young adults, this generation was characterized by the Yuppies, or young urban professionals.
* Generation Y is also known as Generation Next or the Millennials.[10] Generation Y spans from the late 1970s to the late 1990s.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]
* The following Generation, referred to as Generation Z, and various other names, was born between the mid-1990s and end of the 2000s.[23][24][25]
From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_generations#L...
AndrewW-G said:
Looks like it’s open to interpretation, one normal family cycle would be around 30 years, others down to 16 or 17 (so 1 normal = 2 feral chav generations)
\Oxford Dictionary said:
All the people born at roughly the same time; one stage in the descent of a family
That appears to be concise
Not a small amount of electricity then
ETACan differ in usage, eg. My generation....A generation..... quite different.
Edited by jeff m on Tuesday 3rd November 17:58
I consider a generation to be a subjective term without any real numerical value. It is a value that each person defines themselves that just 'feels right'.
Its like a moment. Something can be in a few moments, but how long actually is it?
Trying to put a value on it defeats the purpose of the word in my eyes.
Its like a moment. Something can be in a few moments, but how long actually is it?
Trying to put a value on it defeats the purpose of the word in my eyes.
Kermit power said:
Obviously, a generation at a simple level if the gap between parent and child, but when you see it used as a generic term (eg: Respect for authority has diminished over the last 3 generations), how long does it mean?
I had my first child at the age of 32, and my father had his first child when he was 31, so two generations in our family would be a 63 year span.
In the same period of time, a stereotypical Chav breeding clan could quite easily be on their way to a fourth generation.
What, therefore, is "a generation" as far as society at large is concerned?
You're right that it's the period between someone being born and the birth of their child.I had my first child at the age of 32, and my father had his first child when he was 31, so two generations in our family would be a 63 year span.
In the same period of time, a stereotypical Chav breeding clan could quite easily be on their way to a fourth generation.
What, therefore, is "a generation" as far as society at large is concerned?
So, for a nation it would be the average age of people's first born.
IIRC, it's about 33 for the UK, though that figure sticks in my head from many years ago and the teenage birth bonanza of recent years may well have dragged it down a bit.
I've always thought it's 14 years. I have a feeling that somewhere it is formally defined that way. Even if not, I'm pretty sure there is a statistical definition.
With 14 years, I think the idea is that most have their first child within 14 years of the age of 14. It's a Nyquist thing. I always find it interesting to contemplate that it is also the same sort of period as an economic and/or political cycle.
If you do your statistics with a maximum repetition rate of once every fourteen years, the number of cases where a child has gone on to have a child during the sampling and compilation period is relatively small.
With 14 years, I think the idea is that most have their first child within 14 years of the age of 14. It's a Nyquist thing. I always find it interesting to contemplate that it is also the same sort of period as an economic and/or political cycle.
If you do your statistics with a maximum repetition rate of once every fourteen years, the number of cases where a child has gone on to have a child during the sampling and compilation period is relatively small.
Edited by dilbert on Tuesday 3rd November 22:43
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