Why Different Generations Subscribe to Different Values and Norms - Coursework Example

Why Different Generations Subscribe to Different Values and Norms Introduction When two individualsbelong to different generations, sociologists measure the generation gap as 10 years and beyond, which are about the number of years that separate the Traditionalists from the Baby Boomers, the Baby Boomers from the Generation Xers, the Gen Xers from the Millennials, and the Millennials from the Net generation. These generations were obviously given such labels based on major events and problems that each age group experienced. For example, the Baby Boomers were so called because they were born in greater numbers while the world was treading the road to peace after the death and destruction wrought by World War II, during which procreation practically came to a standstill. The Gen Xers, on the other hand, were probably attached that label in deference to the dictionary definition of x as an unknown and incomprehensible factor after older people became confused by ideas and attitudes different from theirs. Of course, the Millennials were named as such because they were born at the approach or turn of the new millennium, while the Net generation was so labeled in reference to the advent of the Internet during its time. This paper attempts a critical analysis of why the set of values and norms that one particular generation subscribes to is different from that of the other generation, based on an examination of my own socialization activities as a Gen Xer and those of earlier generations. Influencing Factors The year of my birth was 1971, which makes me one of the Gen Xers, who were categorized as those born between 1965 and 1976. My generation came immediately after the Baby Boomers, who were born between 1946 and 1964, and just before the Millennials, who were born in 1977-1998. In my formative years, the major international events that left an indelible impression may be categorized according to their political, social, economic and scientific import. In the political sense, I remember the withdrawal of the US forces from Vietnam in 1972 after a 10-year war of attrition that scandalized much of the world; the Watergate scandal that broke in 1973 and led to Nixon's resignation a year later; the 1972 Black September attack at the Munich Olympics that killed 11 Israeli athletes, which was regarded as the first incident of international terrorism; and the bloody riots triggered by the killing of students by National Guards at Kent State. On the social scene, I recall the hot pants and micro-minis for girls, shoulder-length hair and non-traditional clothing for men, streaking nude in public places, the rage for station wagons and RVs (recreational vehicles), and the disco dance craze stoked by the film Saturday Night Live. As for events with economic significance, the first fuel crisis in 1973 stood out, which happened after the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) refused to ship oil products to nations that supported Israel in the Yom Kippur War between Syria and Egypt. The single most important science-related breakthrough in my youth was the introduction of home computers through Apple II, Atari and other video games. The influence exerted by these events in the socialization practice of Gen Xers like me may have reflected in the traits commonly associated with our generation, which are independence, resilience and adaptability (Thielfodt & Scheef, 2004). We witnessed officials like Nixon betrayed public trust, peace officers like the National Guards gunned down helpless students, Arab terrorists killed innocent athletes, and organizations like OPEC withheld vital oil supply from the world for selfish political reasons. These were unprecedented and outrageous spectacles at the time that could have bred cynicism in us and taught us to distrust humanity. As a result, people in my generation learned to challenge conventions and to look out for our own selves. The fads for micro-minis and hot pants among girls, the shoulder-length hair and ragged clothing among men, the streaking nude in public places, and the disco dance craze that had young people gyrating wildly were only expressions of the rebellious spirit that characterized Gen X. Remember that these symbols of material culture for the Gen Xers were a big shock to the earlier generations represented by the Traditionalists and Baby Boomers. In their time, girls wore long skirts, men had their hair barbered regularly, indecent public exposure like streaking nude was a serious crime, and people danced to the waltz or slow-drag music. Generational Differences In 1999, Smola & Sutton (2002) studied 350 people divided equally between Baby Boomers and Gen Xers to see how their work values compare. The major finding was that the Gen Xers give work lower priority in life and have less sense of pride at work than the Baby Boomers. Compared to the Baby Boomers, even the Traditionalists and the Millennials, the Gen Xers were also found to be more self-oriented, too impatient, too cynical, negative in outlook and given to having their own way. While people belonging to earlier generations have been observed as respectful of institutions and resistant to change and new ideas, the Gen Xers welcome and seek change and distrust institutions (Thielfoldt & Scheef, 2004). At work, the Gen Xers also reject rules whereas the Baby Boomers play by the rules, which generational conflict can affect workplace productivity by preventing plans, products and ideas from moving forward (Dittman, 2005). The possibility that generational differences could affect the way people work was discussed in a US study, which recorded the complaints of older school administrators against the work ethic of their younger interns (Mitchell, 2002). According to the older school administrators, they could not work well with the Gen X interns because the latter show little commitment to their work, work only the required hours, and are more preoccupied with achieving a work-life balance. In contrast, the Baby Boomers work long hours, take some workload home and generally bury themselves in work at the expense of their social lives. In my years in the grade school, I myself have seen teachers in that category who were so "wedded" to their jobs that some of the women became old maids. Such demonstration of dedication and even lifelong commitment to a job would seem unthinkable for a Gen Xer, who was born when the global economy experienced its first big downturn after the long post-war period of prosperity. As the 1973 oil crisis dealt by OPEC slowed or paralyzed industries around the world, the parents of the Gen Xers either lost their jobs or faced job insecurity. According to Thielfoldt & Scheef (2004), growing up in such an environment of economic uncertainty caused my generational group to redefine loyalty such that when we entered the workforce, our loyalty lies not on the company but on the individual teams or bosses we work for. Because we Gen Xers as employees do not value loyalty as much as the Baby Boomers, we start to look around for another place of employment the moment we are dissatisfied with the management of our current company. In contrast, the norm for Baby Boomers is to complain about instances of mismanagement but will do nothing and persevere, believing that it is part of the job (Thielfoldt & Scheef, 2004). Values are the qualities, customs and principles regarded as desirable while norms tell us what we ought and ought not to do, and it so happened that loyalty to an employer is among the values that we Gen Xers believe we ought not to do after we saw how our parents lost their jobs unceremoniously during the 1973 oil crisis although many of them, as Traditionalists or Baby Boomers, may have shown fierce loyalty to their companies. Another contributory factor could be the fact that we grew up at a time when the divorce rate and the number of working mothers were starting to rise as the women's struggle for gender equality begins to bear fruit. These social phenomena are believed to have created "latchkey" children among Gen Xers, so called because they are entrusted with a house key such that they come home as they please, which norm differs from that of the Millennials whose childhood is described as "nurtured." The Millennials are those born between 1977 and 1998, which was supposed to be the most child-centered time in history. For example, it was during this period when the United Nations started the annual observance of the Year of the Child. Because technology was part of their growing-up years, the Millennials are the most computer-literate of all generations, which made them so self-confident to the point of appearing cocky. For this reason, the Millennials do not only want to reject rules as is the norm for us Gen Xers but they also want to rewrite the rules. In additio, the Millennials do not only mistrust institutions as we Gen Xers do but they also consider institutions irrelevant (Mitchell, 2002). References 1) Dittman, M. (2005). "Generational Differences at Work." American Psychological Association, Vol. 36, No. 6. 2) Mitchell, S. (2002). "American Generations: Who They Are, How They Live, What They Think." Ithaca, NY: New Strategists Publications. 3) Smola, K.W. & Sutton, C.D. (2002). "Generational Differences: Revisiting Generational Work Behaviors." Journal of Organizational Behavior, Vol. 23, No. 4. 4) Thielfoldt, D. & Scheef, D. (2004). " Generation X and the Millennials: What You Need to Know about Mentoring the New Generation." John Wiley & Sons Inc. Read More