Very interesting! I know I've read about generational theory before, it's just been a long time. We're definitely on the edge of a turning, we'll just have to see how it goes. My kids are hitting adulthood and getting ready to spread their wings, and I think they fall into the Artist category. Heh, so do I, tbh. But the world needs all of them. We won't see any great strides in societal change without mass repentance and a return to Jesus, but I'm hearing rumblings everywhere of people accepting Christ in numbers that will never be reported on the news. The little church we started attending is growing steadily. I think it's all good signs.
Those are good signs. And you’re right: without a revival, all the humanistic attempts at reform will ultimately fail.
As for Strauss/Howe’s archetype names, I don’t agree with their choices—especially “Artist,” “Prophet” and “Hero.” “Prophet” is their Boomer narcissism. But labeling one archetype “Artist” implies that people in generations of that archetype are literally more artistic than others. Same with “Hero.” However, I believe “Nomad” was a good choice for generations like the Lost and X—figuratively but sometimes literally.
Interesting read. One thing about being American is that your grand operatic symphony makes self-awareness an easier task. When you have highs, they hit high. When you have crises, they are loud.
Us Canadians have experienced more of an ambient soundscape, where the changes - until very recently - were gradual, flattened and easily ignorable. I'm not sure which is preferable.
I can see you are able to position your own artistic output within this framework. But not having a clear view of the context means I just basically have to do work and not really factor where it fits in. Just let the imagination go and see how it turns out I guess.
I was ignorant of all this for most of my life. I assumed history was progressing linearly, and that to know what the future would be like, culturally, I could simply extrapolate from the present.
Then I had a chance to observe Millennials in action, and was smacked in the face with how radically different they were when me and my cohort were the same age. We were hyper-competitive and truculent, whereas they were uncompetitive and unfamiliar with violence, bullying, etc.
When I discovered Generational Theory, that and so much else made sense, finally.
I have no doubt that Canada and every country has its own cycle and archetypes, but they’re probably not in sync with America’s. But it took a lot of work to figure ours out (by historians with strong pattern recognition) and not everybody has the time for that.
I emphatically disagree with this model of generational theory. Millennials and Zoomers are nothing like the previous generational archetypes from what I see.
It feels like an ivory tower theory that when reality doesn't match their predicted results, they get out the plunger to force it through instead of adjusting for the real world observables. You can't run this model backwards and get matching analogs. The generation born between 1880 and 1901 doesn't look like the archetype of Gen X. Nor does the Reconstruction Generation of 1860-1880 mimic Boomers. The Antebellum Generation (1840-1860) and Gen Z isn't gonna mirror Boomers.
That's why I call bunkum on this theory. Is there a cycle to civilizations? Sure. It's an upward and downward spiral that follow the old saw "History doesn't repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme." The rest is human behavioral responses like you put with the meme of Good/Hard times and Weak/Strong men. That's at least a good analogy. Everything else tacked on to it, seems to just be marketing and agenda propaganda for the purpose of steering intellectual opinion.
Oh, as for your pop culture predictions, yeah. I'm pretty well with you on that one. :)
Criticism of the theory is fine, but it must be criticized for what it purports--not what it doesn't. GT says nothing about the "Zoomers" or "Gen Z" for instance, because it recognizes no such generation. Nor a "Generation Y" for that matter. Those are faux generations not identified by peer personality. The Web sources that use the term can't even agree on what the birth spans are.
"All those supposed generations were invented by influencers who have neither studied Strauss & Howe’s theory, nor put in equivalent work in the study of American history and identifying its patterns."
The Missionary Generation (born 1860-1882) , like the Boomers, were increasingly indulged children raised in affluence, social stability, etc.; grew up to become self-centered seekers of "inner truth," "consciousness," and spiritual enrichment; became moralistic in middle age, and holier-than-thou elders who held onto institutional power as long as they were able. They didn't burn bras, take birth control pills and recreational drugs and start riots while waving the flags of our country's enemies because the linear aspects of history (technology and morality) had not taken them to an era where most of that was possible or conceivable.
The Lost Generation (1883-1900) were the "bad kids," just like X. They were underprotected and undervalued, like X. Both were hypercompetitive survivalists, with a higher propensity toward juvenile delinquency and gang membership than surrounding generations. Both were alienated hellraisers in their youth. Both fought wars that are seen in retrospect as needless and had nothing to do with protecting Americans or our interests. The drunken parties, bank robbing, and bootlegging in the Roaring '20s rhymes well with the "wilding" and drug dealing of the 1990s.
The good times/hard times cycle in the popular meme line up fairly well with having Heroes, then Prophets, respectively, dominating society and culture.
Very interesting! I know I've read about generational theory before, it's just been a long time. We're definitely on the edge of a turning, we'll just have to see how it goes. My kids are hitting adulthood and getting ready to spread their wings, and I think they fall into the Artist category. Heh, so do I, tbh. But the world needs all of them. We won't see any great strides in societal change without mass repentance and a return to Jesus, but I'm hearing rumblings everywhere of people accepting Christ in numbers that will never be reported on the news. The little church we started attending is growing steadily. I think it's all good signs.
Those are good signs. And you’re right: without a revival, all the humanistic attempts at reform will ultimately fail.
As for Strauss/Howe’s archetype names, I don’t agree with their choices—especially “Artist,” “Prophet” and “Hero.” “Prophet” is their Boomer narcissism. But labeling one archetype “Artist” implies that people in generations of that archetype are literally more artistic than others. Same with “Hero.” However, I believe “Nomad” was a good choice for generations like the Lost and X—figuratively but sometimes literally.
Interesting read. One thing about being American is that your grand operatic symphony makes self-awareness an easier task. When you have highs, they hit high. When you have crises, they are loud.
Us Canadians have experienced more of an ambient soundscape, where the changes - until very recently - were gradual, flattened and easily ignorable. I'm not sure which is preferable.
I can see you are able to position your own artistic output within this framework. But not having a clear view of the context means I just basically have to do work and not really factor where it fits in. Just let the imagination go and see how it turns out I guess.
I was ignorant of all this for most of my life. I assumed history was progressing linearly, and that to know what the future would be like, culturally, I could simply extrapolate from the present.
Then I had a chance to observe Millennials in action, and was smacked in the face with how radically different they were when me and my cohort were the same age. We were hyper-competitive and truculent, whereas they were uncompetitive and unfamiliar with violence, bullying, etc.
When I discovered Generational Theory, that and so much else made sense, finally.
I have no doubt that Canada and every country has its own cycle and archetypes, but they’re probably not in sync with America’s. But it took a lot of work to figure ours out (by historians with strong pattern recognition) and not everybody has the time for that.
Thanks for your insight.
I emphatically disagree with this model of generational theory. Millennials and Zoomers are nothing like the previous generational archetypes from what I see.
It feels like an ivory tower theory that when reality doesn't match their predicted results, they get out the plunger to force it through instead of adjusting for the real world observables. You can't run this model backwards and get matching analogs. The generation born between 1880 and 1901 doesn't look like the archetype of Gen X. Nor does the Reconstruction Generation of 1860-1880 mimic Boomers. The Antebellum Generation (1840-1860) and Gen Z isn't gonna mirror Boomers.
That's why I call bunkum on this theory. Is there a cycle to civilizations? Sure. It's an upward and downward spiral that follow the old saw "History doesn't repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme." The rest is human behavioral responses like you put with the meme of Good/Hard times and Weak/Strong men. That's at least a good analogy. Everything else tacked on to it, seems to just be marketing and agenda propaganda for the purpose of steering intellectual opinion.
Oh, as for your pop culture predictions, yeah. I'm pretty well with you on that one. :)
Criticism of the theory is fine, but it must be criticized for what it purports--not what it doesn't. GT says nothing about the "Zoomers" or "Gen Z" for instance, because it recognizes no such generation. Nor a "Generation Y" for that matter. Those are faux generations not identified by peer personality. The Web sources that use the term can't even agree on what the birth spans are.
"All those supposed generations were invented by influencers who have neither studied Strauss & Howe’s theory, nor put in equivalent work in the study of American history and identifying its patterns."
The Missionary Generation (born 1860-1882) , like the Boomers, were increasingly indulged children raised in affluence, social stability, etc.; grew up to become self-centered seekers of "inner truth," "consciousness," and spiritual enrichment; became moralistic in middle age, and holier-than-thou elders who held onto institutional power as long as they were able. They didn't burn bras, take birth control pills and recreational drugs and start riots while waving the flags of our country's enemies because the linear aspects of history (technology and morality) had not taken them to an era where most of that was possible or conceivable.
The Lost Generation (1883-1900) were the "bad kids," just like X. They were underprotected and undervalued, like X. Both were hypercompetitive survivalists, with a higher propensity toward juvenile delinquency and gang membership than surrounding generations. Both were alienated hellraisers in their youth. Both fought wars that are seen in retrospect as needless and had nothing to do with protecting Americans or our interests. The drunken parties, bank robbing, and bootlegging in the Roaring '20s rhymes well with the "wilding" and drug dealing of the 1990s.
The good times/hard times cycle in the popular meme line up fairly well with having Heroes, then Prophets, respectively, dominating society and culture.