Generation X

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For other uses, see Generation X (disambiguation).

Generation X, commonly abbreviated to Gen X, is a term used to identify people born after the post-World War II increase in birth rates (the baby boom)[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. The term has been used in demography, the social sciences, and marketing, though it is most often used in popular culture.

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[edit] Origin of the term

In the U.S. Generation X was originally referred to as the "baby bust" generation because of the drop in the birth rate following the baby boom.[9]

In the UK the term was first used in a 1964 study of British youth by Jane Deverson. Deverson was asked by Woman's Own magazine to interview teenagers of the time. The study revealed a generation of teenagers who "sleep together before they are married, don't believe in God, dislike the Queen, and don't respect parents," which was deemed unsuitable for the magazine because it was a new phenomenon. Deverson, in an attempt to save her research, worked with Hollywood correspondent Charles Hamblett to create a book about the study. Hamblett decided to name it Generation X.[10] Douglas Coupland's 1991 novel, Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, about young adults (who were then in their late twenties) in the late 1980s, helped to popularize the term.

In the 1991 book Generations, William Strauss and Neil Howe call this generation the "13th Generation" and define the birth years as 1961 to 1981. Using their methods, it is the 13th to know the flag of the United States (counting back to the peers of Benjamin Franklin).[6] The label was also chosen because they consider it a "Reactive" or "Nomad" generation, composed of those who were children during a spiritual awakening. Older generations generally have negative perceptions of Reactive generations -- whose members tend to be pragmatic and perceptive, savvy but amoral, more focused on money than on art[11] -- and the use of 13 is also intended to associate this perception with the negative connotations of that number. The authors highlight this negative perception by noting the large number of "devil-child" movies (e.g. Rosemary's Baby[12] released soon after the first members were born, compared with more positive movies such as Baby Boom that were released when the first members of the next generation were being raised.[13]

[edit] Generation X in the United States

Individuals considered to be within Generation X were born and grew up during the later years of, and in the decade following the Cold War. They are most often linked to the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.[14] Its cynicism was exploited by the media early on.[citation needed]

Coming of age after the Vietnam War had ended, they witnessed historic and political events, including the end of the cold war and the fall of the Berlin wall. This generation saw the inception of the home computer, the rise of videogames, and the Internet as a tool for social and commercial purposes. Dot.coms, MTV, Grunge music, Hip hop culture, AIDS and Security moms are attributed to this generation.

The US Census Bureau cites this group (Generation X) as statistically holding the highest education levels when looking at age group (bloc): US Census Bureau, in their 2009 Statistical Abstract. (Also see Education Statistics Canada, 2001 Census.)

In economics, a study (done by Pew Charitable Trusts, the American Enterprise Institute, the Brookings Institute, the Heritage Foundation and the Urban Institute) challenged the notion that each generation will be better off than the one that preceded it.[15] The study, 'Economic Mobility: Is the American Dream Alive and Well?" focuses on the income of males 30-39 in 2004 (those born April, 1964 – March, 1974) and is based on Census/BLS CPS March supplement data.[16]

The study, released May 25, 2007, emphasized that in real dollars, this generation made less (by 12%) than had their fathers at the same age in 1974, thus reversing a historical trend. The study also suggests that per year increases in the portion of father/son family household income generated by fathers/sons have slowed (from an average of 0.9% to 0.3%), barely keeping pace with inflation, though increases in overall father/son family household income are progressively higher each year because more women are entering the workplace, contributing to family household income.[17]

[edit] Generation X Culture

In the early 1990s, when Generation X came into their own, cultural and musical movements such as Grunge and hip hop came into popularity. To this day, Generation Xs' influence is very strong.

Because many Gen Xers suffered neglect in their childhood, they are very protective of their own children.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1731528,00.html Gen-X: The Ignored Generation? - TIME]
  2. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/29/AR2008022903658_pf.html
  3. ^ Coupland, Douglas (March 1991). Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture. New York: St Martin's Griffin. pp. 192. ISBN 9780312054366. 
  4. ^ Generation X Speaks Out on Civic Engagement and The Census: An Ethnographic Approach. (US Census 2000 Ethnographic Study June 17, 2003)
  5. ^ 'X' marks its spot in the cultural limelight
  6. ^ a b Strauss, William & Howe, Neil. Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069. Perennial, 1992 (Reprint). ISBN 0-688-11912-3 p. 324
  7. ^ Children, Teens, Families, and Mass Media: The Millennial Generation
  8. ^ Cheung, Edward (2007). Baby Boomers, Generation X and Social Cycles, Volume 1: North American Long-waves. Longwave Press. pp. 300. ISBN 978-1896330006. http://www.longwavepress.com/Baby_Boomers_Generation_X_SCv1a.pdf. 
  9. ^ Gen-X: The Ignored Generation? - TIME
  10. ^ Asthana, Anushka & Thorpe, Vanessa. "Whatever happened to the original Generation X?". The Observer. January 23, 2005.
  11. ^ Strauss & Howe, ibid, p. 365
  12. ^ Strauss & Howe, ibid, p. 30,
  13. ^ Strauss & Howe, ibid, p. 337,
  14. ^ Hoover Institution - Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson - GEN X FILES
  15. ^ http://www.economicmobility.org/assets/pdfs/Economic_Mobility_in_America_Full.pdf
  16. ^ Economic Mobility Project
  17. ^ http://money.cnn.com/2007/05/25/pf/mobility_study/index.htm?cnn=yes Standing in the shadow of dad's salary - May. 25, 2007]

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