Millennials: Tipping the Scales Toward Change
April 10 2008 / by Alvis Brigis
Category: Social Issues Year: General Rating: 8 Hot
A new generation of Americans, born in 1980-2000, is making a
grab for the reins of culture, business and politics. This
Millennial generation,
dubbed a Civic generation by scholars who study generational
patterns, is irreverent and highly pro-active, in contrast to the
vocal Baby Boomer generation that was not given the tools to
accomplish the widespread change they sought to effect.
According to generational theory , political and cultural change is largely driven by the interplay between different generations of humans each with different characteristics. Leading generational theorists Strauss and Howe have shown that the formation of distinct generations goes back over 500 years and that they tend to repeat in clusters of four, averaging 88 years – roughly one lengthy human lifespan, and resulting in bursts of change every time a Civic generation comes of age.
By throwing its weight behind its change-oriented predecessors the Boomers and Generation X, the current Millennial generation is set to tip the social balance toward action, as did the last Civic generation during the Great Depression. How exactly might they accomplish this? Mike Hais and Morley Winograd, co-authors of Millennial Makeover: YouTube, MySpace and the Future of American Poitics have some good thoughts about the potential impact of the Millenial Generation: (cont.)
Might the rise of the Millennials multiply the effects of pervasive
accelerating change here in the United States? And elsewhere?
Comment Thread (1 Response)
-
thanks for the mention and video. Also check out book review by Jerome Armstrong, editor of MyDd @ http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/3/30/103244/661
Posted by: millmakeover April 14, 2008
Vote for this comment - Recommend